Land and Property Theft and Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing
Ramallah: Settlers burn olive trees under military guard
Ramallah – Ma'an – Soldiers protected Israeli settlers as they set fire to olive trees in Saffa village near the West Bank city Ramallah on Thursday, witnesses reported. Residents and firefighters rushed to the scene, eyewitnesses said, but Israeli soldiers would not allow them to access the land. Yousef Karajah, member of the popular committee against the wall, said more than seven square kilometers of land were burned. The Israeli Civil Administration did not respond immediately to requests for comment by phone and e-mail.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Settlers erect Hebron outpost, arrests during clashes
Hebron - Ma'an - Dozens of settlers began building a new illegal outpost in Hebron's Al-Buweirah neighborhood between the city center and the Kiyrat Arba settlement on Friday. Witnesses said mobile homes and sheds were placed on the site by morning, with one resident saying "dozens of settlers installed themselves in the area."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Amnesty Condemns Palestinian Home Demolitions In The West Bank
Jordan Valley – PNN - Amnesty International called on the Israeli authorities to stop the demolition of Palestinian homes and other buildings in the West Bank, after a further 74 were destroyed in the Jordan Valley earlier this week. The demolitions were carried out by the Israeli military in the villages of Hmayyir and 'Ein Ghazal in the area of al-Farisiya on Monday, displacing 107 people, including 52 children. According to UN figures, at least 198 Palestinian structures in the West Bank have been demolished this year, resulting in the forced displacement of almost 300 Palestinians, half of them children, while 600 others have also been affected.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
Peers question future of ME peace after visit to Jerusalem
The delegation members who took part in MEMO's fact finding mission to Occupied Jerusalem, the West Bank and Israel earlier this month held a press conference this morning to discuss their visit. Lord Nazir Ahmed, Lord Raymond Hylton and Baroness Jenny Tonge each focused on a slightly different aspect of their journey to the region. Lord Ahmed began by saying that, from what he saw and heard, there is no doubt in his mind that "ethnic cleansing has already started in East Jerusalem ." He referred to his meeting with three members of the Palestinian Legislative Assembly who are currently seeking sanctuary in the Red Cross offices in Jerusalem . They are being threatened with arrest and expulsion by the Israeli authorities in a move which entirely contravenes international law.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.
Solidarity/Activism/Boycott, Sanctions & Divestment
One Injured; Four Arrested During Bil'in Weekly Protest
Ramallah – PNN - Villagers of the central West Bank village of Bil’in along with their international and Israeli supporters protested the Israeli wall on Friday. Around 100 protesters marched from the village after the midday prayers and headed towards the gate of the wall separating villagers from their lands. Attending the protest was Louisa Morgantini, ex-EU parliamentarian. As soon as protesters reached the gate of the wall troops stationed there used tear gas and sound bombs to stop the march. Troops injured an Israeli activist in the head with a tear gas bomb. Soldiers also detained Morgantini and three others.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
Soldiers Use Tear Gas to stop Nil'in wall protest
Ramallah - PNN- The residents of the village of Ni'lin near Ramallah, central West Bank, organized their weekly non-violent protest against the construction of the wall on their land. The villagers, accompanied by International peace activists, marched from the center of the village to the land carrying Palestinian flags and chanting slogans calling for the removal of the wall and the end of the Israeli occupation in Palestine. Israeli troops stationed near the wall used tear gas to stop the protest; few people surfed from effects of tear gas inhalation.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
One injured; One Arrested As Troops Attack Anti Wall Protests Near Bethlehem
Bethlehem – PNN - Two anti wall protests were organized on Friday in the villages of Al Ma’ssara and Wadi Rahal near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem. The villagers were joined by Israeli and international supporters in both locations.
In the village of Al Ma’ssara people marched after the midday prayers towards the construction site of the wall, troops stopped the protesters near the village entrance and used tear gas and sound bombs to suppress them.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
Berlanty Azzam: Prevented from going to University in Bethlehem on U.S. speaking tour
Please look at the Schedules of Berlanty Azzam from Gaza and see if you can schedule a presentation for her as she will be in San Francisco. To schedule please wrtie to: http://www.bethlehem.edu/
Egypt To Allow Jordanian Humanitarian Convoy Entry Into Gaza
AMMAN, July 23 (Bernama) -- The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has approved entry for a Jordanian humanitarian aid convoy into the besieged Gaza Strip through the Egyptian Al-Arish port, according to Qatar News Agency. The Chairman of Jordanian Professional Associations Council Ahmad Armouti said that Minister of Interior Nayef Qadi informed him of the Egyptian approval to allow Ansar I aid convoy to funnel food and medical supplies to the coastal enclave, along with nearly 100 activists, by mid-August. "The Egyptian approval comes as a result of efforts exerted by the Jordanian government in the last few days in this regard," Armouti added.
Aid ships from Lebanon won't reach Gaza: Israel (Reuters)
Reuters - Israel warned the United Nations on Thursday that two ships preparing to sail from Lebanon to the Gaza Strip to bring aid to the blockaded territory would not be allowed to reach their destination.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
Israeli Knesset completes step 1 of 3 in criminalizing nonviolent economic pressure against the Occupation
Real News Network , a professional online alternative to US corporate media, has this must-see report about the Knesset bill to criminalize Palestinian, international and Israeli efforts to promote and enact boycotts against Israel. If passed, this stunning bill will mark the most severe and antidemocratic backlash thus far against the boycott, sanctions and divestment movement (BDS) to pressure the country to abide by international law.
http://www.muzzlewatch.com/
Facing ban, Israeli dairy company leaves settlement
Ramallah – Ma’an – A leading Israeli dairy company has moved its factories from the occupied Golan Heights into Israel and will be allowed to market its produce in the West Bank, the National Dignity Fund announced Thursday. President Mahmoud Abbas, whose government led by Salam Fayyad started the fund, in April banned the sale or purchase of settlement produce in the West Bank, and the deadline to clear shelves of settlement goods is 31 July.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Pastor John Hagee, an Israeli Echo, Gets an Earful from Protesters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Congressman Joe Sestak Attacked for Signing a Letter Asking for End of Israeli Blockade on Gaza [VIDEO]
The Congressmen who defeated Arlen Spectar is under attack for signing the letter asking for an end to the Gaza blockade. Watch this horrific ad that is all over Pennsylvania TV network. The ad is ridiculously offense and is the first product out of a newly formed Israeli lobby. Congressman Sestak needs our support! Please Call him and commend him for his courage for speaking out against the Gaza blockade and for signing the letter asking for the end of the Israeli Blockade on Gaza. Also mention that Congressman Sestak should speak for Americans and not Israel at a time when the unemployment is hovering in double digits. Bringing in a “middle east” issue during an election that is essentially about local issues. Congressman Joe Sestak – The Number to call is (202) 225-2011. Watch video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://intifada-palestine.com/
Ameer Makhoul’s day in court, Hatim Kanaaneh
I have known Ameer Makhoul since the day he came to my office at the Galilee Society to be interviewed for the position of director of our then new and ambitious project called ITTIJAH, the Arabic acronym for Union of Community-Based Arab Associations. I knew of him before as another troubled Arab student at Haifa University who couldn’t square away Israel’s bogus claims to democracy, as in ‘the only democratic state in the Middle East,’ with his experience as a member of a minority gagged and shackled by draconian security-based regulations. This had led at the time to his dismissal from his studies and banning from entering the university campus as another ‘trouble maker.’ Ameer went on to obtain his Bachelor’s degree through the accumulation of credits in after-hours and off-campus courses. Two decades later the administration of Haifa University was still formally advising its foreign students and other international guests against visiting Arab communities for their own safety. In1964-6, during my own university studies, I had rented a room in Vermillion, South Dakota from an old lady that warned me daily against the ‘wild Indians’ in the Prairies. I could relate to the deep-seated apprehensions of the aggressor.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/07/
Message to Israelis who oppose BDS – go to Bil’in and see for yourself, Itamar Shaaltiel
The first time I stepped into a settlement was during my military service. I did a job that let me go home every night, but every now and then we were required to do something they called AVTASH, or SetSec: settlement security. I was a guard in Ganim, in Kadim, in Homesh and in one other settlement whose name I do not recall. Every one of those settlements has been removed since then, as part of the Disengagement. We’d travel there in a military jeep. Somewhere near the city of Afula the officer who rode with us said we had entered Area A, and that we had to load our weapons. With our ridiculous guns we traveled through the car-part stripping facilities of Jenin, along ragged roads, until we came to the settlement. These were “quality of life” settlers and were quite nice, in a superficial acquaintance. I remember Homesh in particular. We were guarding in the winter, and the guard booth was covered with perennial fog that had a metallic aftertaste. Around us were mountains, Arab villages, and rock rabbits. I loved those guarding shifts.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/07/
Fencing in the Streets of Europe and Stone Throwing in the West Bank, Joseph Dana
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fencing was a popular past time in the central Europe. Early Zionist youth clubs such as Beitar participated in fencing events and based youth activities around the sport. Perhaps because of the popularity of fencing, street sword duals were a regular endeavor of pride. Young Jewish men were not alien to these duals. The yearbooks of early Zionist youth sport clubs contain many photos of men with a scars across their faces received in dual. These scars were worn with pride and honor. In some cases, duals would even break out between Jews affiliated with Zionist sport clubs and Jews affiliated with non Zionist sport clubs.
http://josephdana.com/2010/07/
Inside the Cosmetics convention, Ahava boss denies the Occupation, Nancy Kricorian
On Monday, July 19th, Jodie Evans of CODEPINK and supporter Zissa went to the Cosmetics Professionals (COSMOPROF) Convention at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas to confront Ahava North America CEO Michael Etedgi for the second year in a row. Last July, Jodie and another woman did a bikini and mud protest in the Ahava booth at the convention. This year they were hoping to have a dialogue with Etedgi and to educate more cosmetics professionals about the illegal practices of Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/07/
Violence and Aggression
Troops Kill A Palestinian Man In Southern West Bank
Salfit – PNN – a Palestinian man was shot and killed, on Thursday morning, by Israeli troops near the southern West Bank city of Salfit. The Israeli army radio announced that a military patrol opened fire at a group of men trying to jump the fence of an Israeli settlement near Salfit. Troops killed a man and arrested another while the rest managed to flee the scene, the radio added. The military says soldiers opened fire because the men were armed, no weapons were found at the scene, sources reported.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
Israeli soldiers kill unarmed Palestinian Northern West Bank
Israeli soldiers Thursday morning shot dead a Palestinian who they thought was trying to infiltrate a Jewish settlement on the northern West Bank, the military said.
http://www.monstersandcritics.
Islamic Jihad man killed in south Gaza
Gaza – Ma’an – A fighter with the Al-Quds Brigades was killed in southern Gaza on Thursday night, the Islamic Jihad movement announced, saying the death came as the young man performed a "Jihadist mission." In a statement mourning the loss of Hatem Mohammad Al-Bardawil, 22, the brigades explained that he was "killed in a missile shelling that targeted him while he was on a mission” east of Al-Qararra, near Khan Younis.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Two dead and four children injured in Israeli nail bomb attack in Beit Hanoun, Gaza
“She came in through and it wasn’t clear she was injured. Suddenly a lot of blood came from her nose and she vomited. All of the family saw this – her little brothers were very scared. She had just been playing in the front of the house.” This is a mother describing to us her daughter, 9 year old Sammah as she came in to her home at 4pm after the Israeli army reportedly shelled and fired 4 bombs into and around a residential area in Beit Hanoun, Northern Gaza. She is now in a semi-critical condition in hospital, suffering extensive blood loss and very low haemoglobin. She was hit by shrapnel and ‘flechettes’ from a nail bomb that landed 100m away, causing internal bleeding to the chest, severe head trauma and nails embedded in her body. She is one of 4 children injured in the attack yesterday, July 21st.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/
PA official: Palestinian attacked, detained in Hebron
Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli forces arrested a 53-year-old Palestinian man after he was beaten by an Israeli settler in the southern West Bank Hebron district on Thursday, an official said. Soldiers took Ziyad Mohammad Younis Makhamrah to an interrogation center in Kiryat Arba settlement after, Yatta municipality spokesman Abed Al-Aziz Abu Fanar said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
PA condemns Barqan shooting
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Palestinian Authority condemned the shooting of an unarmed Palestinian by Israeli forces on Thursday morning. PA spokesman Ghassan Khatib said "Israel must hold its soldiers accountable for illegal and unjustified killings."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Group: Sick detainee refused treatment
Ma'an – Israeli authorities have refused to allow Jamal Abo Al-Heija, 51, visits from his daughter, Gaza's prison committee reported Wednesday., Al-Heija, serving nine life sentences, has been held in solitary confinement for four months., His lawyer has not been permitted to visit, and is concerned about the Jenin prisoner's health, committee coordinator Baha Al-Madhoun said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Detainees
Israeli court rejects Raed Salah appeal
Jerusalem - Ma'an - Israel’s High Court rejected a petition on Thursday appealing Raed Salah's five month sentence for spitting on a border guard in 2007. The leader of the Islamic Movement in northern Israel will begin his sentence on Sunday. The incident occurred during a rally against construction at the Mughrabi gate, in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. Salah was arrested and banned from entering within 150 meters of the Mosque.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
The Siege (Gaza & West Bank)/Humanitarian and Human Rights/Restriction of Movement
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory 15- 21 June 2010
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/
Unclear Israeli border policies cause delays
Jericho – Ma’an – Israeli soldiers deployed at the Allenby Border Crossing sent eight buses loaded with Palestinian passengers back to Jericho on Thursday evening. The refused passengers, which police said were mostly women and children, arrived at the Allenby bridge in stages, but were not told they had been refused permission to exit the West Bank for Jordan by Israeli border officials until they were loaded on buses that headed back to the PA station in Jericho.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Gaza crossings sealed
Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli crossings authorities announced the closure of Gaza goods terminals on Friday, resulting in a two day closure including the regularly scheduled weekend day on Saturday. Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattouh said he was informed that crossings would be closed until Sunday. Since Israel announced its new conditions for the siege on Gaza, the time table for crossing openings has remained steady. Despite being scheduled to be open for goods transport, crossings have remained closed Fridays since August 2009, with the bulk goods crossing at Karni restricted to operations an average of two days per week.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Gaza's strawberries spoil under siege
Israel's policy towards strawberry farming in Gaza, and particularly their exports, is a demonstration in the economics of occupation.
http://electronicintifada.net/
The demise of the tunnel trade
Since Israel announced it would allow more goods into the besieged strip, businessmen have steered clear of the tunnels, and held off placing any new orders for goods from Egypt, Times are tough in the tunnel trade. Underground smuggling from Egypt to Gaza is winding down., Since Israel announced it would allow more goods into the besieged strip, businessmen have steered clear of the tunnels, and held off placing any new orders for goods from Egypt., So the dusty, once thriving community of smuggling tents in the southern city of Rafah is looking rather forlorn., It's a story Hamas does not appear keen to have told.
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/
Israel Gets Brutal With Media, Mel Frykberg
NABI SALAH, Occupied West Bank, Jul 23, 2010 (IPS) - Palestinian activists are being jailed, Israeli activists are under surveillance, and the Israeli military is increasingly targeting journalists who cover West Bank protests.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?
Tourists Now in Their Land of Birth, Jerrold Kessel and Pierre Klochendler
HEBRON, Occupied West Bank, Jul 23, 2010 (IPS) - Beyond the pernicious well-documented aspects of the Israeli Occupation, all sorts of niggling fragments of Israeli control over Palestinian life, and individual petty cases of nastiness leave new Israeli talk of "gestures" towards peace hollow.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?
A Refugee's Daily Life In Azza Camp Bethlehem
PNN – Mahmoud Mahmoud - The density of the Azza Camp in Bethlehem, Palestine is so small that you can personally say hello to all 2,000 people living inside of the camp that is less than one kilometer. Half of the Palestinians living inside these confines are children under the age of ten. I myself asked to play soccer with two of the boys. Mohammed, 10 and Wael nine, were very excited when I asked to play with them. We set the rules and discussed the positioning of the goal. It was only three feet wide because the area is so small and we played with a ball that was deformed and extremely worn out. The residents could sense there was outsiders in their area as Tom, from Belgium and I from Egypt were shouting in English and Arabic soccer related phrases.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
The West Bank: A Firsthand Look, Kate Lowenstein
Americans argue till they're hoarse over the history and future of Israel and the occupied territories, and yet so few of us talk about--or know about--what life there really looks like. In the discussions I've had with many Israelis, too, it's become clear how little they know about what goes on beyond the checkpoints that dot the east and west of their country. I can't help but wonder if it's this kind of selective blindness that allows so many otherwise morally sound people to support a government that carries out such flagrant offenses every day. You may embrace Israel, but it's unlikely that you believe in the mistreatment of an entire population of human beings. It's about time more people acknowledged the unfortunate link between their beloved country and its shameful acts.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
War Criminals
New Israeli report on Operation Cast Lead confirms Goldstone report’s main findings
Defense Minister Ehud Barak described it as “false, distorted, and irresponsible“. Information Minister Yuli Edelstein called it “anti-Semitic“. Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren said it “insidiously… portrayed the Jews as the deliberate murderers of innocents“. Foreign Minister Lieberman argued that its true purpose “was to destroy Israel’s image, in service of countries where the terms ‘human rights’ and ‘combat ethics’ do not even appear in their dictionaries“. And the US House of Representatives banded together in bipartisan harmony to pass a resolution (344–36) that called “on the President and the Secretary of State to oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration” of it.
http://www.hybridstates.com/
Spanish activists sue Israeli leaders
Passengers who were onboard Turkish-owned ship which attempted to reach Gaza file civil claim against PM Netanyahu, six of his ministers and Navy commander, say IDF sought 'to kill as many activists as possible'. Meanwhile, Israel's UN ambassador urges to stop new flotilla.
http://www.ynetnews.com/
U.N. body names team to probe Israeli ship raid (Reuters)
Reuters - The U.N. Human Rights Council appointed a team of international experts Friday to investigate a raid by Israeli commandos on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
How Furkan Dogan, a U.S. Citizen, Was Killed by Israeli Soldiers on the Mavi Marmara
My hands are shaking right now. I just talked to Ahmet Dogan, the father of Furkan Dogan, a few minutes ago. I hadn’t talked to him for a while because the last time I talked to him he was so upset that I felt I had to wait and give him time to deal with his grief. He said he was ready to talk so we talked about the way the U. S. government has been dealing (or not) with him and about how Furkan died on the Mavi Marmara during the Israeli attack on the Gaza Aid Flotilla. For more background information you can read my first diary about Furkan.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/
USS Liberty survivor: Death was possible on Gaza freedom flotilla
"Once they got aboard our ship, they just stumbled around and argued with each other," former US Navy signalman of USS Liberty aboard Gaza freedom flotilla ship tells RAW STORY; IDF responds: forces showed "professionalism" and "commanders exhibited correct decision making"
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/
Israel's Arab Helpers
Israel gives green light to armored vehicles for PA
IDF supports move in light of what it considers as the impressive improvement in security cooperation between Israel and the PA.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-
Political/Other Developments
U.S. upgrades status of Palestinian mission in Washington
Though still short of full diplomatic recognition, move raises representation to level of PLO missions in many European countries and Canada.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/
Brazilian FM to visit Libya, Turkey, Israel, Syria (AFP)
AFP - Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim is to embark Saturday on a tour of the Middle East to underline his country's rising diplomatic attention towards the region, his office said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
Peres slams 'anti-Israeli majority' in UN (AFP)
AFP - Israeli President Shimon Peres hit out at what called an "anti-Israeli" majority in the United Nations following criticism of Israel's recent raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
Other News
Mubarak gives public speech after health rumors
In a televised speech just days after US newspaper says he could have less than a year to live, Egyptian president says, 'Economic growth, social justice are goals we must aspire to. Op-ed slams Israeli media's interest in Mubarak's health.
http://www.ynetnews.com/
Israel to return flotilla boats to Turkey
In bid to prevent further deterioration in relations with Ankara, political echelon in Jerusalem decides to hand over Gaza-bound vessels raided by Navy. Decision made following negotiations between countries, after Israel demands boats will not take part in future sails.
http://www.ynetnews.com/
Gaza child upholds potter tradition
A six-year-old boy has attracted much attention in Gaza by being the youngest potter in the area. He started learning when he was four and spends most of his school holidays working on the potter's wheel. Nicole Johnston reports on young Mahmoud, who is determined to carry on his family's craft tradition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Top Gaza student studied with oil lamp, mobile phone
Gaza – Ma'an – Gaza's top Tawjihi student felt like she broke the siege against her with determination and the light from her mobile phone, she told Ma'an the day she received the news of her success. Asma Amin Tubasi from Rafah remembers her father telling her to stop studying using the old oil lamp after a series of accidents in the Gaza Strip saw children injured and homes burned due to unsafe fuel smuggled in from Egypt.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Highest-scoring Gaza student dedicates result to mother's spirit
Gaza - Ma'an - The highest scoring student in Palestine's end-of-school exams, Noor Jassim Ismail from Gaza, dedicated her success to the spirit of her mother, who died of cancer two years ago. The Tawjihi high school exit exams for 2010 were announced Thursday, and Ismail's score of 99.5 for science was the highest in any discipline across the West Bank and Gaza.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Gaza children set world record for basketball
Children in the Gaza Strip have earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Seven thousand five hundred kids all bounced basketballs at the same time for five minutes. The world record was shattered at Gaza's old international airport, which has been bombed several times by Israeli forces since 2001. The event, organised by the UN and recent Palestinian college graduates, was designed to bring hope and fun to children in the besieged coastal enclave. Nicole Johnston has the story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Analysis/Opinion/Human Interest
Haneen Zoabi: "The largest threat to democracy is Zionism"
Having been stripped of parliamentary privileges for participating in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, Haneen Zoabi describes the "fascist atmosphere" inside Israel. Max Blumenthal interviews for The Electronic Intifada.
http://electronicintifada.net/
Israel turns upon its own | Rachel Shabi
This week's controversial rape conviction of an Arab man highlights a growing intolerance. Israel's liberal left has been warning about this for decades – and now those cautionary words seem like prophesies. Lines of Israeli authors, academics and campaigners have long said that the ugly occupation of the Palestinian people would corrode Israel and derail its democracy. Human rights advocates repeatedly warned that a nation capable of meting out such punishing discrimination to another people would eventually turn on itself. And so it has.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Whatever Happens, Israel Can Always Count On U.S. Evangelicals
Thousands of Christians from across the United States descended on Capitol Hill on Thursday in order to lobby Washington lawmakers on behalf of Israel
http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/
‘Tablet’ is mobbed up with neocons, Philip Weiss
Yesterday Tablet smeared me and several other bloggers as Jew-baiters (a "scurrilous" piece righteously punctured by Jerry Haber here). A few connections. According to its latest (2008) IRS Form 990, Tablet's parent, Nextbook, shares two board members (Arthur Fried, president, and Mem Bernstein, vice president) with the Tikvah Fund board, of which William Kristol is also a member. Tikvah's central interest is said to be Israel's leading neocon think tank, the Shalem Center, which my canary tells me Tikvah funds to the tune of several million dollars annually. Remember that Shalem gave us Michael Oren and Daniel Gordis (and Sheldon Adelson, Zionis Maximalis, funds Shalem too).
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/07/
Britain moves towards insulating Israel from even a light tap on the knuckles
The role of a real democracy is to protect the innocent and prosecute the guilty. When it comes to Israel, however, Western states are almost expected to give them a pass. We’re fighting terrorism, you see, and pesky civilians are simply getting in the way.
http://antonyloewenstein.com/
Palestinians Remain Split, US Doesn’t Adjust, Ali Gharib
Last summer, a tight consensus formed in Washington around Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s plans to build up state-like institutions in the West Bank and revive the territory’s sagging economy from the lingering effects of the Second Intifada. But the strategy – while still overwhelmingly popular in the West a year into its implementation – is facing strong criticisms: Experts on Palestinian politics are now questioning its effectiveness and whether, with Gaza still isolated, the agenda is counter-productive to forming an eventual, unified Palestinian state.
http://original.antiwar.com/
An Encounter With Ben White
Bethlehem - PNN – this week at The Bethlehem Bible College the respected journalist and author Ben White gave an incredible talk and opened the floor to questions for at least an hour afterwards, talking at length on subjects drawn from his experience in the West Bank. Particular highlights included his anecdotes of the increasing size of Har Homa, the Settlement aimed to separate Bethlehem from the rest of the West Bank, and his experiences of settlement activity around the Galilee and Nazereth, as well as the destruction he had seen earlier that day in the Jordan Valley.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
Iraq
Thursday: 12 Iraqis, 3 Foreign Contractors Killed; 14 Iraqis, 15 Contractors Wounded
Three foreign contractors were killed during a mortar or rocket attack on Baghdad's international Green Zone. At least 15 more were wounded in the attack. At least 12 Iraqis were killed and 14 were wounded in other violence. Meanwhile, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (SIIC) urged Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to step aside and allow someone else to take over the premiership. Also, a new study supports anecdotal evidence that Fallujah is suffering from an increase in cancer and birth defects, perhaps caused by mutagenic and carcinogenic agents used during the war.
http://original.antiwar.com/
Three killed in rocket attack on Baghdad's Green Zone (AFP)
AFP - Three security contractors working for the US government were killed and 15 wounded in a rocket attack on the Iraqi capital's heavily fortified Green Zone on Thursday, the American embassy said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
Talks with Allawi fruitful, productive: Iraq's Shiite cleric
DAMASCUS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al- Sadr told Xinhua Thursday that his meeting with the leader of Iraqi National Movement Ayad Allawi here was fruitful and productive. Syria has invited al-Sadr and Allawi to visit Damascus in a bid to step up the pace of the dialogue among different political parties to form a new Iraqi government. During his interview with Xinhua, al-Sadr denied meeting with anyone from the State of Law coalition led by Nuri al-Maliki in the Iranian city of Qum.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
An elixir of long life in Baghdad
A century-old grape juice shop has served rulers, militants and U.S. troops, hanging on even as the world outside has faded. Hadi Abu Ahmed lingers in his grape juice shop in the heart of Baghdad like a man waiting for something dramatic to happen. He smiles, as if there is a secret or a joke that amuses him.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/
Lebanon
Arabic: Video of Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah's Press Conference on July 22, 2010
http://www.almanar.com.lb/
Hezbollah S.G.: Lebanon Pushed into Sensitive Stage from STL Gate
22/07/2010 “My press conference today is for the people to hear me well and not to quote me” from different sources, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah began his press conference in Beirut’s southern suburb Thursday night. The Sayyed stressed that “we have to bear in mind that as of this moment, Lebanon has been pushed into a very sensitive and complicate stage from the gates of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).” His eminence also underlined the right of the resistance to defend itself regardless of those who “philosophize and claim that he who defends himself confesses his crime.” “An indictment had been written, before the investigation (into the assassination of former PM Rafiq Hariri) and before Hezbollah members were interrogated as witnesses. It was written but its issuance was delayed for political reasons. Judge Daniel Belmar’s deliberations with UNSC members and French officials had to do with the political timing, not the context. Before leaving to Paris, PM Saad Hariri visited me and told me that in month ‘x’, an indictment will be issued and it will implicate ‘undisciplined members of Hezbollah’, not the whole party.”
http://almanar.com.lb/
Lebanese Newspapers Opinions After Sayyed Nasrallah's Press Conference
23/07/2010 Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah’s press conference on Thursday occupied headlines and op-eds in some Lebanese newspapers issued Friday. As-Safir newspaper pointed that Sayyed Nasrallah addressed the Lebanese people in a very calm and clear manner, yet strong in its context. “He called on the Lebanese to be aware of the game of the nations with all its regional and domestic intersections which sought to take Lebanon hostage of bigger calculations, and nearly took the country from its regional position to an opposite location and from internal stability to civil war.” The daily said that the current phase that Lebanon is passing through imposed on Sayyed Nasrallah to single out a large portion of his speech to the so called March 14 audience “which was emotionally driven, after the assassination of martyr Rafiq Hariri, to raise anti-Syria slogans; whereas five years later, it turned out to be that Syria was the main factor for a stable Lebanon on both political and security levels.”
http://almanar.com.lb/
The Hariri Assassination: Israel ’s Fingerprints, Rannie Amiri
Syria lifts visit ban on Lebanese figures
(Xinhua) -- Syria has allowed a number of Lebanese figures to visit the country after the latest visit paid by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to Lebanon, the Syrian local website DP reported on Thursday., Most of the banned Lebanese figures are activists of Hariri's Al-Mustaqbal (future) Movement who are known for their hostile policy toward Damascus., Syrian Interior Ministry has received instructions by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to lift the ban imposed on the above mentioned figures, said the report.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
When The Israeli Enemy Cares for Hariri Family's "Honor"!
23/07/2010 Believe it or not, the Israeli enemy cares for Hariri family's "honor" more than all Lebanese! Yes, while the countdown for the "already written" verdict of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon over the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri has started, Israel seems to be the most enthusiastic party in the world. The slogans of "truth" and "justice" are concerning the Israeli enemy these days after the tribunal turned to be nothing but an Israeli scheme, the best "tool" to achieve the Israeli "unachieved" goals since 2006: disarming and dismantling Hezbollah. Thus, Israel has the right to "regret" the stances of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and even to "justify" them by claiming that the young PM is just "scared" of reaching the same fate of his father or, at the least, embroiling Lebanon into a devastating and destructive civil war.
http://almanar.com.lb/
Israeli Army to simulate invasion of south Lebanon
BEIRUT: Israel will simulate moving machinery and personnel into south Lebanon amid fears that Hizbullah will target main transport arteries in any future conflict, Israeli media reported Thursday. The Jerusalem Post said that the test would be conducted in computerized simulations. "
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/
Sleiman's talks 'succeed' in defusing political tensions
BEIRUT: Talks carried out by President Michel Sleiman with members of the National Dialogue to defuse tensions in the country have borne fruit, sources close to President Michel Sleiman said Thursday.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/
IranManufacturing Consent For War: Iran supports three insurgent groups in Iraq
US general: Iran is supporting three Shiite extremist groups in Iraq that have been attempting to attack US bases, General Ray Odierno, the top US commander in Iraq, said Wednesday.
http://www.google.com/
Iran Avoids Taking Dollars, Euros for Oil Payments, Vice President Says
“We have different contracts with different countries, but what is important is to move away from euro and dollar,” Rahimi said when asked about reports that Iran wants to sell some of its oil for dirhams.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/
U.S. and other World News
Muslim women 'refused bus ride' over veil
Two students claim London bus driver told them, ''I am not going to take you on the bus because you two are a threat'.
http://www.ynetnews.com/
Saudi Arabia to pursue nuclear energy
"We have no concern with these countries (Saudi, the UAE) developing conventional nuclear power," Luis Echavarri, director general of the Paris-based Nuclear Energy Agency, told Reuters.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/
"What Was My Father's Crime?"
Afghan Man Tells Story of His 92-year-old Father's Killing by U.S. Special Forces.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
In Egypt, diary of 'torture' captures police brutality
Hundreds of allegations have been logged into Egypt’s “torture diary,” a chronicle of claimed police brutality compiled by the Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence, an independent victims advocacy group in Cairo.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/
Egyptians must join in support of equality for all religions
Egyptians are tired of the problems that have persisted for decades: the corruption and bribery that paralyze Egypt's law enforcement and legal system; the poverty that 20 percent of the population suffers from; the nearly constant 10 percent rate of unemployment; and a flawed educational system that has resulted in 27 percent illiteracy.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/
Bahrain activists encourage women to fight against injustice of polygamy
MANAMA: In her 30s, Muza has been married for years but has managed to remain financially independent. In fact, she was even able to help build the home she has with her husband, using the money she earned as a teacher. But Muza failed to realize early enough that because the house was in her husband's name, she would not have legal claim to their conjugal home if their marriage did not work out.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/
Middle East Internet Users Spend More Time Online Than Watching TV
Dubai – PNN - Internet users in the Middle East are spending more time online than watching television according to a new survey published by online research company Effective Measure and carried out in conjunction with Spot On Public Relations. The survey of over 2500 internet users across the Middle East and North Africa clearly shows that 88% of Internet users in the region access the Internet daily, with many spending more time on the Internet than they do watching television. “The survey clearly shows that people are accessing the Internet throughout the day and night, while other media such as newspapers, radio and television have peak times of usage,” said Effective Measures’ CEO Brendon Ogilvy. “In addition, more people are accessing the Internet on a daily basis and spending longer online, both in browsing and in updating social networks, than they are spending consuming ‘traditional’ media such as newspapers, radio, television and magazines. The findings show a real movement in the way people are accessing information here in the region.’
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
The Liquor Store Wars, MAYTHA ALHASSEN
Liquor stores, or more colloquially “corner stores,” in Detroit, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Washington, and other major metropolitan cities located in economically under-served, urban, majority-black neighborhoods have been purchased by Arab American and Arab immigrants over the last two decades. In order to understand the relationship of place to religion and race, I intend to examine the dynamics of the encounter between African-American Muslims and Arab and Arab-American Muslims (mostly Yemeni) at various liquor stores in Oakland, where, according to the US Census (2000), African Americans compose 64 percent of the population. Complicated by an ethno-religious component, Yemeni Muslim liquor store ownership concentrated in Oakland’s highest density, crime-ridden, black-dominant, and economically poorest neighborhoods, although aided by literature, requires a new theoretical arsenal for approaching the conflict. of race, religion, image-making, and place at the liquor store and beyond.
http://www.counterpunch.com/
www.TheHeadlines.org
Ramallah: Settlers burn olive trees under military guard
Ramallah – Ma'an – Soldiers protected Israeli settlers as they set fire to olive trees in Saffa village near the West Bank city Ramallah on Thursday, witnesses reported. Residents and firefighters rushed to the scene, eyewitnesses said, but Israeli soldiers would not allow them to access the land. Yousef Karajah, member of the popular committee against the wall, said more than seven square kilometers of land were burned. The Israeli Civil Administration did not respond immediately to requests for comment by phone and e-mail.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Settlers erect Hebron outpost, arrests during clashes
Hebron - Ma'an - Dozens of settlers began building a new illegal outpost in Hebron's Al-Buweirah neighborhood between the city center and the Kiyrat Arba settlement on Friday. Witnesses said mobile homes and sheds were placed on the site by morning, with one resident saying "dozens of settlers installed themselves in the area."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Amnesty Condemns Palestinian Home Demolitions In The West Bank
Jordan Valley – PNN - Amnesty International called on the Israeli authorities to stop the demolition of Palestinian homes and other buildings in the West Bank, after a further 74 were destroyed in the Jordan Valley earlier this week. The demolitions were carried out by the Israeli military in the villages of Hmayyir and 'Ein Ghazal in the area of al-Farisiya on Monday, displacing 107 people, including 52 children. According to UN figures, at least 198 Palestinian structures in the West Bank have been demolished this year, resulting in the forced displacement of almost 300 Palestinians, half of them children, while 600 others have also been affected.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
Peers question future of ME peace after visit to Jerusalem
The delegation members who took part in MEMO's fact finding mission to Occupied Jerusalem, the West Bank and Israel earlier this month held a press conference this morning to discuss their visit. Lord Nazir Ahmed, Lord Raymond Hylton and Baroness Jenny Tonge each focused on a slightly different aspect of their journey to the region. Lord Ahmed began by saying that, from what he saw and heard, there is no doubt in his mind that "ethnic cleansing has already started in East Jerusalem ." He referred to his meeting with three members of the Palestinian Legislative Assembly who are currently seeking sanctuary in the Red Cross offices in Jerusalem . They are being threatened with arrest and expulsion by the Israeli authorities in a move which entirely contravenes international law.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.
Solidarity/Activism/Boycott, Sanctions & Divestment
One Injured; Four Arrested During Bil'in Weekly Protest
Ramallah – PNN - Villagers of the central West Bank village of Bil’in along with their international and Israeli supporters protested the Israeli wall on Friday. Around 100 protesters marched from the village after the midday prayers and headed towards the gate of the wall separating villagers from their lands. Attending the protest was Louisa Morgantini, ex-EU parliamentarian. As soon as protesters reached the gate of the wall troops stationed there used tear gas and sound bombs to stop the march. Troops injured an Israeli activist in the head with a tear gas bomb. Soldiers also detained Morgantini and three others.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
Soldiers Use Tear Gas to stop Nil'in wall protest
Ramallah - PNN- The residents of the village of Ni'lin near Ramallah, central West Bank, organized their weekly non-violent protest against the construction of the wall on their land. The villagers, accompanied by International peace activists, marched from the center of the village to the land carrying Palestinian flags and chanting slogans calling for the removal of the wall and the end of the Israeli occupation in Palestine. Israeli troops stationed near the wall used tear gas to stop the protest; few people surfed from effects of tear gas inhalation.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
One injured; One Arrested As Troops Attack Anti Wall Protests Near Bethlehem
Bethlehem – PNN - Two anti wall protests were organized on Friday in the villages of Al Ma’ssara and Wadi Rahal near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem. The villagers were joined by Israeli and international supporters in both locations.
In the village of Al Ma’ssara people marched after the midday prayers towards the construction site of the wall, troops stopped the protesters near the village entrance and used tear gas and sound bombs to suppress them.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
Berlanty Azzam: Prevented from going to University in Bethlehem on U.S. speaking tour
Please look at the Schedules of Berlanty Azzam from Gaza and see if you can schedule a presentation for her as she will be in San Francisco. To schedule please wrtie to: http://www.bethlehem.edu/
Egypt To Allow Jordanian Humanitarian Convoy Entry Into Gaza
AMMAN, July 23 (Bernama) -- The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has approved entry for a Jordanian humanitarian aid convoy into the besieged Gaza Strip through the Egyptian Al-Arish port, according to Qatar News Agency. The Chairman of Jordanian Professional Associations Council Ahmad Armouti said that Minister of Interior Nayef Qadi informed him of the Egyptian approval to allow Ansar I aid convoy to funnel food and medical supplies to the coastal enclave, along with nearly 100 activists, by mid-August. "The Egyptian approval comes as a result of efforts exerted by the Jordanian government in the last few days in this regard," Armouti added.
Aid ships from Lebanon won't reach Gaza: Israel (Reuters)
Reuters - Israel warned the United Nations on Thursday that two ships preparing to sail from Lebanon to the Gaza Strip to bring aid to the blockaded territory would not be allowed to reach their destination.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
Israeli Knesset completes step 1 of 3 in criminalizing nonviolent economic pressure against the Occupation
Real News Network , a professional online alternative to US corporate media, has this must-see report about the Knesset bill to criminalize Palestinian, international and Israeli efforts to promote and enact boycotts against Israel. If passed, this stunning bill will mark the most severe and antidemocratic backlash thus far against the boycott, sanctions and divestment movement (BDS) to pressure the country to abide by international law.
http://www.muzzlewatch.com/
Facing ban, Israeli dairy company leaves settlement
Ramallah – Ma’an – A leading Israeli dairy company has moved its factories from the occupied Golan Heights into Israel and will be allowed to market its produce in the West Bank, the National Dignity Fund announced Thursday. President Mahmoud Abbas, whose government led by Salam Fayyad started the fund, in April banned the sale or purchase of settlement produce in the West Bank, and the deadline to clear shelves of settlement goods is 31 July.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Pastor John Hagee, an Israeli Echo, Gets an Earful from Protesters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Congressman Joe Sestak Attacked for Signing a Letter Asking for End of Israeli Blockade on Gaza [VIDEO]
The Congressmen who defeated Arlen Spectar is under attack for signing the letter asking for an end to the Gaza blockade. Watch this horrific ad that is all over Pennsylvania TV network. The ad is ridiculously offense and is the first product out of a newly formed Israeli lobby. Congressman Sestak needs our support! Please Call him and commend him for his courage for speaking out against the Gaza blockade and for signing the letter asking for the end of the Israeli Blockade on Gaza. Also mention that Congressman Sestak should speak for Americans and not Israel at a time when the unemployment is hovering in double digits. Bringing in a “middle east” issue during an election that is essentially about local issues. Congressman Joe Sestak – The Number to call is (202) 225-2011. Watch video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://intifada-palestine.com/
Ameer Makhoul’s day in court, Hatim Kanaaneh
I have known Ameer Makhoul since the day he came to my office at the Galilee Society to be interviewed for the position of director of our then new and ambitious project called ITTIJAH, the Arabic acronym for Union of Community-Based Arab Associations. I knew of him before as another troubled Arab student at Haifa University who couldn’t square away Israel’s bogus claims to democracy, as in ‘the only democratic state in the Middle East,’ with his experience as a member of a minority gagged and shackled by draconian security-based regulations. This had led at the time to his dismissal from his studies and banning from entering the university campus as another ‘trouble maker.’ Ameer went on to obtain his Bachelor’s degree through the accumulation of credits in after-hours and off-campus courses. Two decades later the administration of Haifa University was still formally advising its foreign students and other international guests against visiting Arab communities for their own safety. In1964-6, during my own university studies, I had rented a room in Vermillion, South Dakota from an old lady that warned me daily against the ‘wild Indians’ in the Prairies. I could relate to the deep-seated apprehensions of the aggressor.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/07/
Message to Israelis who oppose BDS – go to Bil’in and see for yourself, Itamar Shaaltiel
The first time I stepped into a settlement was during my military service. I did a job that let me go home every night, but every now and then we were required to do something they called AVTASH, or SetSec: settlement security. I was a guard in Ganim, in Kadim, in Homesh and in one other settlement whose name I do not recall. Every one of those settlements has been removed since then, as part of the Disengagement. We’d travel there in a military jeep. Somewhere near the city of Afula the officer who rode with us said we had entered Area A, and that we had to load our weapons. With our ridiculous guns we traveled through the car-part stripping facilities of Jenin, along ragged roads, until we came to the settlement. These were “quality of life” settlers and were quite nice, in a superficial acquaintance. I remember Homesh in particular. We were guarding in the winter, and the guard booth was covered with perennial fog that had a metallic aftertaste. Around us were mountains, Arab villages, and rock rabbits. I loved those guarding shifts.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/07/
Fencing in the Streets of Europe and Stone Throwing in the West Bank, Joseph Dana
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fencing was a popular past time in the central Europe. Early Zionist youth clubs such as Beitar participated in fencing events and based youth activities around the sport. Perhaps because of the popularity of fencing, street sword duals were a regular endeavor of pride. Young Jewish men were not alien to these duals. The yearbooks of early Zionist youth sport clubs contain many photos of men with a scars across their faces received in dual. These scars were worn with pride and honor. In some cases, duals would even break out between Jews affiliated with Zionist sport clubs and Jews affiliated with non Zionist sport clubs.
http://josephdana.com/2010/07/
Inside the Cosmetics convention, Ahava boss denies the Occupation, Nancy Kricorian
On Monday, July 19th, Jodie Evans of CODEPINK and supporter Zissa went to the Cosmetics Professionals (COSMOPROF) Convention at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas to confront Ahava North America CEO Michael Etedgi for the second year in a row. Last July, Jodie and another woman did a bikini and mud protest in the Ahava booth at the convention. This year they were hoping to have a dialogue with Etedgi and to educate more cosmetics professionals about the illegal practices of Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/07/
Violence and Aggression
Troops Kill A Palestinian Man In Southern West Bank
Salfit – PNN – a Palestinian man was shot and killed, on Thursday morning, by Israeli troops near the southern West Bank city of Salfit. The Israeli army radio announced that a military patrol opened fire at a group of men trying to jump the fence of an Israeli settlement near Salfit. Troops killed a man and arrested another while the rest managed to flee the scene, the radio added. The military says soldiers opened fire because the men were armed, no weapons were found at the scene, sources reported.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
Israeli soldiers kill unarmed Palestinian Northern West Bank
Israeli soldiers Thursday morning shot dead a Palestinian who they thought was trying to infiltrate a Jewish settlement on the northern West Bank, the military said.
http://www.monstersandcritics.
Islamic Jihad man killed in south Gaza
Gaza – Ma’an – A fighter with the Al-Quds Brigades was killed in southern Gaza on Thursday night, the Islamic Jihad movement announced, saying the death came as the young man performed a "Jihadist mission." In a statement mourning the loss of Hatem Mohammad Al-Bardawil, 22, the brigades explained that he was "killed in a missile shelling that targeted him while he was on a mission” east of Al-Qararra, near Khan Younis.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Two dead and four children injured in Israeli nail bomb attack in Beit Hanoun, Gaza
“She came in through and it wasn’t clear she was injured. Suddenly a lot of blood came from her nose and she vomited. All of the family saw this – her little brothers were very scared. She had just been playing in the front of the house.” This is a mother describing to us her daughter, 9 year old Sammah as she came in to her home at 4pm after the Israeli army reportedly shelled and fired 4 bombs into and around a residential area in Beit Hanoun, Northern Gaza. She is now in a semi-critical condition in hospital, suffering extensive blood loss and very low haemoglobin. She was hit by shrapnel and ‘flechettes’ from a nail bomb that landed 100m away, causing internal bleeding to the chest, severe head trauma and nails embedded in her body. She is one of 4 children injured in the attack yesterday, July 21st.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/
PA official: Palestinian attacked, detained in Hebron
Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli forces arrested a 53-year-old Palestinian man after he was beaten by an Israeli settler in the southern West Bank Hebron district on Thursday, an official said. Soldiers took Ziyad Mohammad Younis Makhamrah to an interrogation center in Kiryat Arba settlement after, Yatta municipality spokesman Abed Al-Aziz Abu Fanar said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
PA condemns Barqan shooting
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Palestinian Authority condemned the shooting of an unarmed Palestinian by Israeli forces on Thursday morning. PA spokesman Ghassan Khatib said "Israel must hold its soldiers accountable for illegal and unjustified killings."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Group: Sick detainee refused treatment
Ma'an – Israeli authorities have refused to allow Jamal Abo Al-Heija, 51, visits from his daughter, Gaza's prison committee reported Wednesday., Al-Heija, serving nine life sentences, has been held in solitary confinement for four months., His lawyer has not been permitted to visit, and is concerned about the Jenin prisoner's health, committee coordinator Baha Al-Madhoun said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Detainees
Israeli court rejects Raed Salah appeal
Jerusalem - Ma'an - Israel’s High Court rejected a petition on Thursday appealing Raed Salah's five month sentence for spitting on a border guard in 2007. The leader of the Islamic Movement in northern Israel will begin his sentence on Sunday. The incident occurred during a rally against construction at the Mughrabi gate, in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. Salah was arrested and banned from entering within 150 meters of the Mosque.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
The Siege (Gaza & West Bank)/Humanitarian and Human Rights/Restriction of Movement
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory 15- 21 June 2010
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/
Unclear Israeli border policies cause delays
Jericho – Ma’an – Israeli soldiers deployed at the Allenby Border Crossing sent eight buses loaded with Palestinian passengers back to Jericho on Thursday evening. The refused passengers, which police said were mostly women and children, arrived at the Allenby bridge in stages, but were not told they had been refused permission to exit the West Bank for Jordan by Israeli border officials until they were loaded on buses that headed back to the PA station in Jericho.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Gaza crossings sealed
Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli crossings authorities announced the closure of Gaza goods terminals on Friday, resulting in a two day closure including the regularly scheduled weekend day on Saturday. Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattouh said he was informed that crossings would be closed until Sunday. Since Israel announced its new conditions for the siege on Gaza, the time table for crossing openings has remained steady. Despite being scheduled to be open for goods transport, crossings have remained closed Fridays since August 2009, with the bulk goods crossing at Karni restricted to operations an average of two days per week.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Gaza's strawberries spoil under siege
Israel's policy towards strawberry farming in Gaza, and particularly their exports, is a demonstration in the economics of occupation.
http://electronicintifada.net/
The demise of the tunnel trade
Since Israel announced it would allow more goods into the besieged strip, businessmen have steered clear of the tunnels, and held off placing any new orders for goods from Egypt, Times are tough in the tunnel trade. Underground smuggling from Egypt to Gaza is winding down., Since Israel announced it would allow more goods into the besieged strip, businessmen have steered clear of the tunnels, and held off placing any new orders for goods from Egypt., So the dusty, once thriving community of smuggling tents in the southern city of Rafah is looking rather forlorn., It's a story Hamas does not appear keen to have told.
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/
Israel Gets Brutal With Media, Mel Frykberg
NABI SALAH, Occupied West Bank, Jul 23, 2010 (IPS) - Palestinian activists are being jailed, Israeli activists are under surveillance, and the Israeli military is increasingly targeting journalists who cover West Bank protests.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?
Tourists Now in Their Land of Birth, Jerrold Kessel and Pierre Klochendler
HEBRON, Occupied West Bank, Jul 23, 2010 (IPS) - Beyond the pernicious well-documented aspects of the Israeli Occupation, all sorts of niggling fragments of Israeli control over Palestinian life, and individual petty cases of nastiness leave new Israeli talk of "gestures" towards peace hollow.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?
A Refugee's Daily Life In Azza Camp Bethlehem
PNN – Mahmoud Mahmoud - The density of the Azza Camp in Bethlehem, Palestine is so small that you can personally say hello to all 2,000 people living inside of the camp that is less than one kilometer. Half of the Palestinians living inside these confines are children under the age of ten. I myself asked to play soccer with two of the boys. Mohammed, 10 and Wael nine, were very excited when I asked to play with them. We set the rules and discussed the positioning of the goal. It was only three feet wide because the area is so small and we played with a ball that was deformed and extremely worn out. The residents could sense there was outsiders in their area as Tom, from Belgium and I from Egypt were shouting in English and Arabic soccer related phrases.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
The West Bank: A Firsthand Look, Kate Lowenstein
Americans argue till they're hoarse over the history and future of Israel and the occupied territories, and yet so few of us talk about--or know about--what life there really looks like. In the discussions I've had with many Israelis, too, it's become clear how little they know about what goes on beyond the checkpoints that dot the east and west of their country. I can't help but wonder if it's this kind of selective blindness that allows so many otherwise morally sound people to support a government that carries out such flagrant offenses every day. You may embrace Israel, but it's unlikely that you believe in the mistreatment of an entire population of human beings. It's about time more people acknowledged the unfortunate link between their beloved country and its shameful acts.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
War Criminals
New Israeli report on Operation Cast Lead confirms Goldstone report’s main findings
Defense Minister Ehud Barak described it as “false, distorted, and irresponsible“. Information Minister Yuli Edelstein called it “anti-Semitic“. Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren said it “insidiously… portrayed the Jews as the deliberate murderers of innocents“. Foreign Minister Lieberman argued that its true purpose “was to destroy Israel’s image, in service of countries where the terms ‘human rights’ and ‘combat ethics’ do not even appear in their dictionaries“. And the US House of Representatives banded together in bipartisan harmony to pass a resolution (344–36) that called “on the President and the Secretary of State to oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration” of it.
http://www.hybridstates.com/
Spanish activists sue Israeli leaders
Passengers who were onboard Turkish-owned ship which attempted to reach Gaza file civil claim against PM Netanyahu, six of his ministers and Navy commander, say IDF sought 'to kill as many activists as possible'. Meanwhile, Israel's UN ambassador urges to stop new flotilla.
http://www.ynetnews.com/
U.N. body names team to probe Israeli ship raid (Reuters)
Reuters - The U.N. Human Rights Council appointed a team of international experts Friday to investigate a raid by Israeli commandos on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
How Furkan Dogan, a U.S. Citizen, Was Killed by Israeli Soldiers on the Mavi Marmara
My hands are shaking right now. I just talked to Ahmet Dogan, the father of Furkan Dogan, a few minutes ago. I hadn’t talked to him for a while because the last time I talked to him he was so upset that I felt I had to wait and give him time to deal with his grief. He said he was ready to talk so we talked about the way the U. S. government has been dealing (or not) with him and about how Furkan died on the Mavi Marmara during the Israeli attack on the Gaza Aid Flotilla. For more background information you can read my first diary about Furkan.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/
USS Liberty survivor: Death was possible on Gaza freedom flotilla
"Once they got aboard our ship, they just stumbled around and argued with each other," former US Navy signalman of USS Liberty aboard Gaza freedom flotilla ship tells RAW STORY; IDF responds: forces showed "professionalism" and "commanders exhibited correct decision making"
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/
Israel's Arab Helpers
Israel gives green light to armored vehicles for PA
IDF supports move in light of what it considers as the impressive improvement in security cooperation between Israel and the PA.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-
Political/Other Developments
U.S. upgrades status of Palestinian mission in Washington
Though still short of full diplomatic recognition, move raises representation to level of PLO missions in many European countries and Canada.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/
Brazilian FM to visit Libya, Turkey, Israel, Syria (AFP)
AFP - Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim is to embark Saturday on a tour of the Middle East to underline his country's rising diplomatic attention towards the region, his office said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
Peres slams 'anti-Israeli majority' in UN (AFP)
AFP - Israeli President Shimon Peres hit out at what called an "anti-Israeli" majority in the United Nations following criticism of Israel's recent raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
Other News
Mubarak gives public speech after health rumors
In a televised speech just days after US newspaper says he could have less than a year to live, Egyptian president says, 'Economic growth, social justice are goals we must aspire to. Op-ed slams Israeli media's interest in Mubarak's health.
http://www.ynetnews.com/
Israel to return flotilla boats to Turkey
In bid to prevent further deterioration in relations with Ankara, political echelon in Jerusalem decides to hand over Gaza-bound vessels raided by Navy. Decision made following negotiations between countries, after Israel demands boats will not take part in future sails.
http://www.ynetnews.com/
Gaza child upholds potter tradition
A six-year-old boy has attracted much attention in Gaza by being the youngest potter in the area. He started learning when he was four and spends most of his school holidays working on the potter's wheel. Nicole Johnston reports on young Mahmoud, who is determined to carry on his family's craft tradition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Top Gaza student studied with oil lamp, mobile phone
Gaza – Ma'an – Gaza's top Tawjihi student felt like she broke the siege against her with determination and the light from her mobile phone, she told Ma'an the day she received the news of her success. Asma Amin Tubasi from Rafah remembers her father telling her to stop studying using the old oil lamp after a series of accidents in the Gaza Strip saw children injured and homes burned due to unsafe fuel smuggled in from Egypt.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Highest-scoring Gaza student dedicates result to mother's spirit
Gaza - Ma'an - The highest scoring student in Palestine's end-of-school exams, Noor Jassim Ismail from Gaza, dedicated her success to the spirit of her mother, who died of cancer two years ago. The Tawjihi high school exit exams for 2010 were announced Thursday, and Ismail's score of 99.5 for science was the highest in any discipline across the West Bank and Gaza.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Gaza children set world record for basketball
Children in the Gaza Strip have earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Seven thousand five hundred kids all bounced basketballs at the same time for five minutes. The world record was shattered at Gaza's old international airport, which has been bombed several times by Israeli forces since 2001. The event, organised by the UN and recent Palestinian college graduates, was designed to bring hope and fun to children in the besieged coastal enclave. Nicole Johnston has the story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Analysis/Opinion/Human Interest
Haneen Zoabi: "The largest threat to democracy is Zionism"
Having been stripped of parliamentary privileges for participating in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, Haneen Zoabi describes the "fascist atmosphere" inside Israel. Max Blumenthal interviews for The Electronic Intifada.
http://electronicintifada.net/
Israel turns upon its own | Rachel Shabi
This week's controversial rape conviction of an Arab man highlights a growing intolerance. Israel's liberal left has been warning about this for decades – and now those cautionary words seem like prophesies. Lines of Israeli authors, academics and campaigners have long said that the ugly occupation of the Palestinian people would corrode Israel and derail its democracy. Human rights advocates repeatedly warned that a nation capable of meting out such punishing discrimination to another people would eventually turn on itself. And so it has.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Whatever Happens, Israel Can Always Count On U.S. Evangelicals
Thousands of Christians from across the United States descended on Capitol Hill on Thursday in order to lobby Washington lawmakers on behalf of Israel
http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/
‘Tablet’ is mobbed up with neocons, Philip Weiss
Yesterday Tablet smeared me and several other bloggers as Jew-baiters (a "scurrilous" piece righteously punctured by Jerry Haber here). A few connections. According to its latest (2008) IRS Form 990, Tablet's parent, Nextbook, shares two board members (Arthur Fried, president, and Mem Bernstein, vice president) with the Tikvah Fund board, of which William Kristol is also a member. Tikvah's central interest is said to be Israel's leading neocon think tank, the Shalem Center, which my canary tells me Tikvah funds to the tune of several million dollars annually. Remember that Shalem gave us Michael Oren and Daniel Gordis (and Sheldon Adelson, Zionis Maximalis, funds Shalem too).
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/07/
Britain moves towards insulating Israel from even a light tap on the knuckles
The role of a real democracy is to protect the innocent and prosecute the guilty. When it comes to Israel, however, Western states are almost expected to give them a pass. We’re fighting terrorism, you see, and pesky civilians are simply getting in the way.
http://antonyloewenstein.com/
Palestinians Remain Split, US Doesn’t Adjust, Ali Gharib
Last summer, a tight consensus formed in Washington around Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s plans to build up state-like institutions in the West Bank and revive the territory’s sagging economy from the lingering effects of the Second Intifada. But the strategy – while still overwhelmingly popular in the West a year into its implementation – is facing strong criticisms: Experts on Palestinian politics are now questioning its effectiveness and whether, with Gaza still isolated, the agenda is counter-productive to forming an eventual, unified Palestinian state.
http://original.antiwar.com/
An Encounter With Ben White
Bethlehem - PNN – this week at The Bethlehem Bible College the respected journalist and author Ben White gave an incredible talk and opened the floor to questions for at least an hour afterwards, talking at length on subjects drawn from his experience in the West Bank. Particular highlights included his anecdotes of the increasing size of Har Homa, the Settlement aimed to separate Bethlehem from the rest of the West Bank, and his experiences of settlement activity around the Galilee and Nazereth, as well as the destruction he had seen earlier that day in the Jordan Valley.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
Iraq
Thursday: 12 Iraqis, 3 Foreign Contractors Killed; 14 Iraqis, 15 Contractors Wounded
Three foreign contractors were killed during a mortar or rocket attack on Baghdad's international Green Zone. At least 15 more were wounded in the attack. At least 12 Iraqis were killed and 14 were wounded in other violence. Meanwhile, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (SIIC) urged Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to step aside and allow someone else to take over the premiership. Also, a new study supports anecdotal evidence that Fallujah is suffering from an increase in cancer and birth defects, perhaps caused by mutagenic and carcinogenic agents used during the war.
http://original.antiwar.com/
Three killed in rocket attack on Baghdad's Green Zone (AFP)
AFP - Three security contractors working for the US government were killed and 15 wounded in a rocket attack on the Iraqi capital's heavily fortified Green Zone on Thursday, the American embassy said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
Talks with Allawi fruitful, productive: Iraq's Shiite cleric
DAMASCUS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al- Sadr told Xinhua Thursday that his meeting with the leader of Iraqi National Movement Ayad Allawi here was fruitful and productive. Syria has invited al-Sadr and Allawi to visit Damascus in a bid to step up the pace of the dialogue among different political parties to form a new Iraqi government. During his interview with Xinhua, al-Sadr denied meeting with anyone from the State of Law coalition led by Nuri al-Maliki in the Iranian city of Qum.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
An elixir of long life in Baghdad
A century-old grape juice shop has served rulers, militants and U.S. troops, hanging on even as the world outside has faded. Hadi Abu Ahmed lingers in his grape juice shop in the heart of Baghdad like a man waiting for something dramatic to happen. He smiles, as if there is a secret or a joke that amuses him.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/
Lebanon
Arabic: Video of Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah's Press Conference on July 22, 2010
http://www.almanar.com.lb/
Hezbollah S.G.: Lebanon Pushed into Sensitive Stage from STL Gate
22/07/2010 “My press conference today is for the people to hear me well and not to quote me” from different sources, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah began his press conference in Beirut’s southern suburb Thursday night. The Sayyed stressed that “we have to bear in mind that as of this moment, Lebanon has been pushed into a very sensitive and complicate stage from the gates of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).” His eminence also underlined the right of the resistance to defend itself regardless of those who “philosophize and claim that he who defends himself confesses his crime.” “An indictment had been written, before the investigation (into the assassination of former PM Rafiq Hariri) and before Hezbollah members were interrogated as witnesses. It was written but its issuance was delayed for political reasons. Judge Daniel Belmar’s deliberations with UNSC members and French officials had to do with the political timing, not the context. Before leaving to Paris, PM Saad Hariri visited me and told me that in month ‘x’, an indictment will be issued and it will implicate ‘undisciplined members of Hezbollah’, not the whole party.”
http://almanar.com.lb/
Lebanese Newspapers Opinions After Sayyed Nasrallah's Press Conference
23/07/2010 Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah’s press conference on Thursday occupied headlines and op-eds in some Lebanese newspapers issued Friday. As-Safir newspaper pointed that Sayyed Nasrallah addressed the Lebanese people in a very calm and clear manner, yet strong in its context. “He called on the Lebanese to be aware of the game of the nations with all its regional and domestic intersections which sought to take Lebanon hostage of bigger calculations, and nearly took the country from its regional position to an opposite location and from internal stability to civil war.” The daily said that the current phase that Lebanon is passing through imposed on Sayyed Nasrallah to single out a large portion of his speech to the so called March 14 audience “which was emotionally driven, after the assassination of martyr Rafiq Hariri, to raise anti-Syria slogans; whereas five years later, it turned out to be that Syria was the main factor for a stable Lebanon on both political and security levels.”
http://almanar.com.lb/
The Hariri Assassination: Israel ’s Fingerprints, Rannie Amiri
A crackdown on Israeli spy rings operating in Lebanon has resulted in more than 70 arrests over the past 18 months. Included among them are four high-ranking Lebanese Army and General Security officers—one having spied for the Mossad since 1984. A significant breakthrough in the ongoing investigation occurred in late June and culminated in the arrest of Charbel Qazzi, head of transmission and broadcasting at Alfa, one of Lebanon ’s two state-owned mobile service providers. According to the Lebanese daily As-Safir, Qazzi confessed to installing computer programs and planting electronic chips in Alfa transmitters. These could then be used by Israeli intelligence to monitor communications, locate and target individuals for assassination, and potentially deploy viruses capable of erasing recorded information in the contact lines. Qazzi’s collaboration with Israel reportedly dates back 14 years. On July 12, a second arrest at Alfa was made. Tarek al-Raba’a, an engineer and partner of Qazzi, was apprehended on charges of spying for Israel and compromising national security. A few days later, a third Alfa employee was similarly detained. What does any of this have to do with the Hariri assassination?
http://globalresearch.ca/Syria lifts visit ban on Lebanese figures
(Xinhua) -- Syria has allowed a number of Lebanese figures to visit the country after the latest visit paid by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to Lebanon, the Syrian local website DP reported on Thursday., Most of the banned Lebanese figures are activists of Hariri's Al-Mustaqbal (future) Movement who are known for their hostile policy toward Damascus., Syrian Interior Ministry has received instructions by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to lift the ban imposed on the above mentioned figures, said the report.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
When The Israeli Enemy Cares for Hariri Family's "Honor"!
23/07/2010 Believe it or not, the Israeli enemy cares for Hariri family's "honor" more than all Lebanese! Yes, while the countdown for the "already written" verdict of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon over the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri has started, Israel seems to be the most enthusiastic party in the world. The slogans of "truth" and "justice" are concerning the Israeli enemy these days after the tribunal turned to be nothing but an Israeli scheme, the best "tool" to achieve the Israeli "unachieved" goals since 2006: disarming and dismantling Hezbollah. Thus, Israel has the right to "regret" the stances of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and even to "justify" them by claiming that the young PM is just "scared" of reaching the same fate of his father or, at the least, embroiling Lebanon into a devastating and destructive civil war.
http://almanar.com.lb/
Israeli Army to simulate invasion of south Lebanon
BEIRUT: Israel will simulate moving machinery and personnel into south Lebanon amid fears that Hizbullah will target main transport arteries in any future conflict, Israeli media reported Thursday. The Jerusalem Post said that the test would be conducted in computerized simulations. "
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/
Sleiman's talks 'succeed' in defusing political tensions
BEIRUT: Talks carried out by President Michel Sleiman with members of the National Dialogue to defuse tensions in the country have borne fruit, sources close to President Michel Sleiman said Thursday.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/
IranManufacturing Consent For War: Iran supports three insurgent groups in Iraq
US general: Iran is supporting three Shiite extremist groups in Iraq that have been attempting to attack US bases, General Ray Odierno, the top US commander in Iraq, said Wednesday.
http://www.google.com/
Iran Avoids Taking Dollars, Euros for Oil Payments, Vice President Says
“We have different contracts with different countries, but what is important is to move away from euro and dollar,” Rahimi said when asked about reports that Iran wants to sell some of its oil for dirhams.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/
U.S. and other World News
Muslim women 'refused bus ride' over veil
Two students claim London bus driver told them, ''I am not going to take you on the bus because you two are a threat'.
http://www.ynetnews.com/
Saudi Arabia to pursue nuclear energy
"We have no concern with these countries (Saudi, the UAE) developing conventional nuclear power," Luis Echavarri, director general of the Paris-based Nuclear Energy Agency, told Reuters.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/
"What Was My Father's Crime?"
Afghan Man Tells Story of His 92-year-old Father's Killing by U.S. Special Forces.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
In Egypt, diary of 'torture' captures police brutality
Hundreds of allegations have been logged into Egypt’s “torture diary,” a chronicle of claimed police brutality compiled by the Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence, an independent victims advocacy group in Cairo.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/
Egyptians must join in support of equality for all religions
Egyptians are tired of the problems that have persisted for decades: the corruption and bribery that paralyze Egypt's law enforcement and legal system; the poverty that 20 percent of the population suffers from; the nearly constant 10 percent rate of unemployment; and a flawed educational system that has resulted in 27 percent illiteracy.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/
Bahrain activists encourage women to fight against injustice of polygamy
MANAMA: In her 30s, Muza has been married for years but has managed to remain financially independent. In fact, she was even able to help build the home she has with her husband, using the money she earned as a teacher. But Muza failed to realize early enough that because the house was in her husband's name, she would not have legal claim to their conjugal home if their marriage did not work out.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/
Middle East Internet Users Spend More Time Online Than Watching TV
Dubai – PNN - Internet users in the Middle East are spending more time online than watching television according to a new survey published by online research company Effective Measure and carried out in conjunction with Spot On Public Relations. The survey of over 2500 internet users across the Middle East and North Africa clearly shows that 88% of Internet users in the region access the Internet daily, with many spending more time on the Internet than they do watching television. “The survey clearly shows that people are accessing the Internet throughout the day and night, while other media such as newspapers, radio and television have peak times of usage,” said Effective Measures’ CEO Brendon Ogilvy. “In addition, more people are accessing the Internet on a daily basis and spending longer online, both in browsing and in updating social networks, than they are spending consuming ‘traditional’ media such as newspapers, radio, television and magazines. The findings show a real movement in the way people are accessing information here in the region.’
http://english.pnn.ps/index.
The Liquor Store Wars, MAYTHA ALHASSEN
Liquor stores, or more colloquially “corner stores,” in Detroit, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Washington, and other major metropolitan cities located in economically under-served, urban, majority-black neighborhoods have been purchased by Arab American and Arab immigrants over the last two decades. In order to understand the relationship of place to religion and race, I intend to examine the dynamics of the encounter between African-American Muslims and Arab and Arab-American Muslims (mostly Yemeni) at various liquor stores in Oakland, where, according to the US Census (2000), African Americans compose 64 percent of the population. Complicated by an ethno-religious component, Yemeni Muslim liquor store ownership concentrated in Oakland’s highest density, crime-ridden, black-dominant, and economically poorest neighborhoods, although aided by literature, requires a new theoretical arsenal for approaching the conflict. of race, religion, image-making, and place at the liquor store and beyond.
http://www.counterpunch.com/
www.TheHeadlines.org
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