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What comes after catastrophe?
Split by geography and by politics
The creation of Israel in 1948 was their nakba, or catastrophe,
and generated their shatat, or diaspora. Israel's conquest of
the West Bank and Gaza in 1967 was a niksa, or setback. But
they have yet to coin a term for their present situation. One
day this week at Erez checkpoint, by the remotely operated
hydraulic cattle-gate that is the last of six barriers through
which a trickle of humanitarian traffic still passes between
Israel and Gaza, a man was whimpering in pain. His sister
explained that this was the third day in a row he had
journeyed to this grim place, by costly taxi, then been
carried by porters across the bomb-flattened wasteland
that used to be the highway to Gaza, only to be barred
from reaching a scheduled chemotherapy session in an
Israeli hospital. They would try again the next day, and
for his subsequent five monthly sessions
Hamas delegation concludes talks with
Egyptian officials without agreement
GAZA, (PIC)-- A Senior level delegation of the Hamas Movement
has concluded a new round of talks with Egyptian officials in
Arish city on Saturday without reaching an agreement on any
of the tabled questions, according to Ayman Taha, a Hamas political leader.
IDF braces for mass rally against Israeli blockade on Gaza border
Gasoline ran out in Gaza over the weekend in the aftermath of limitations
imposed by Israel on imports into the Strip, excluding fuel for emergency
vehicles. Diesel fuel is also said to be in short supply. Meanwhile, the
Israel Defense Forces beefed up troops along the border with Gaza,
fearing thousands of Palestinians may march on the border in protest
of Israel's economic sanctions.
Hands across Gaza
Israel, Palestinian Authority concerned Hamas may use human chain event to
send masses marching towards border with Israel – Thousands of Palestinians
will join hands on Monday to form a human chain across the Gaza Strip in
protest of the ongoing siege against the Hamas-ruled territory. At an
expected 30 miles of length, the chain will stretch from Rafah in the
south all the way to the northern town of Beit Hanoun. Israeli defense
officials have emphasized that under no circumstances will security
forces allow the Palestinians to sabotage or cross the fence along
Gaza's border.
Beit Hanoun mayor to Sderot mayor
: Palestinians already wanted truce
Palestinians had already been demanding a long-term ceasefire
when the mayor of the Israeli town Sderot called for a truce, the
mayor of the Palestinian city of Beit Hanoun, Muhammad Kafarna,
said on Sunday. Kafarna advised the mayor of Sderot to watch TV
and see the huge destruction which the Israeli military tanks caused
to the infrastructure and the groves of Beit Hanoun. He reaffirmed
that it is Israeli military operations that push the Palestinian resistance
groups to defend themselves. While Sderot suffers a state of horror due
to the sounds of explosions, Beit Hanoun suffers Israeli raids which target
Palestinian civilians on a daily basis, said Al-Kafarna.
Sderot mayor denies calling for ceasefire talks with Hamas
Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal sought to clarify Saturday remarks
published in the British daily The Guardian, saying he does not
believe Israel should conduct cease-fire talks with Hamas in order
to bring an end to the incessant Qassam rocket fire that has
plagued the western Negev town. "During the interview I said that
I believe we must not talk to Hamas, and that the Israeli government
must not talk to Hamas," said Moyal. . . Former Shin Bet chief
Yaakov Peri told Israel Radio on Saturday that the government
should pursue direct talks with Hamas so as to expedite a prisoner
swap for abducted soldier Gilad Shalit.
Israel says it has refined airstrikes to
avoid civilian casualties among Palestinians
Israel's policy of "targeted killings" has reshaped the battlefield
in Gaza's crowded urban landscape in recent years. Developed
during a spate of suicide bombings inside Israel, the practice also
has drawn widespread criticism because of the dozens of Palestinian
civilians accidentally killed and questions about whether it amounts
to summary execution. [is there any doubt about this last?] Israel
responds that it has refined its ability to strike with startling precision,
using ever-improving intelligence and sophisticated weaponry that the
military says has sharply reduced the number of civilian casualties.
Three Gaza picnickers killed by Israeli missile
The Centre's preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately
3:40pm on Saturday, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) fired a surface-to-
surface missile from one of its bases along the Gaza Strip border. The
rocket targeted three friends in a bamboo hut in a field belonging to the
family of one of the victims in the Nazaz area east of Beit Hanoun. The
targeted area was approximately 1.2 kilometers away from the border
with Israel. The rocket landed in the middle of the three civilians who
were preparing food during their picnic in the field. They were instantly
killed and dismembered. After the incident, an IOF spokesperson was
quoted on the Yediot Ahronot website claiming that the army targeted
armed Palestinian rocket launchers. However, the Centre's investigation
refutes the claim, and affirms that they were civilians on a picnic in an
open field. They were roasting meat and waiting for other friends to join
them for dinner. The bombardment occurred before the others arrived.
An-Nassar Salah Addin Brigades 'launch 10 projectiles at Sderot'
The military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees claimed
responsibility on Sunday afternoon for launching ten homemade
projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot, north of Gaza. The
spokesperson of the An-Nasser Brigades told Ma'an via telephone
that the shelling was part of a joint campaign with other Palestinian
resistance factions. He also affirmed that the group who launched
the projectiles had earlier survived Israeli artillery shelling.
Olmert: We absolutely won't fortify every building in Gaza area
He said Sunday during the weekly cabinet meeting that Israel would
not undertake a fortification project to protect all Gaza-area homes
from Qassam rocket attacks. Later in the meeting, the cabinet
approved a previously proposed plan to build a 'safe room'
measuring 9 square meters in each residential building within
4.5 kilometers from the Gaza border.
The plan had already been approved by a special ministerial committee last week.
De facto Gaza government: Two arrested in YMCA bombing case
The Palestinian Interior Ministry affiliated with the Hamas-led de facto
government announced on Sunday that police have arrested two
people who were allegedly involved in the explosion at the library
of the YMCA in Gaza City on 15 February. The interior ministry
affirmed that all the group have been revealed and police is pursuing
the rest of them. The Interior Ministry said that initial investigations
suggest that the blast was politically motivated and intended to
increase tensions between the Christian minority and the Hamas
government at time when Christian-Hamas relations are strong.
The ministry added that Christians in Palestine have been and
will continue to be a component part of Palestinian society.
Gaza diary: Sewage on our doorstep
Only three pumps were installed in the new water pumping station because
the Israeli closure and blockade since June 2007 had prevented the essential
parts needed to build the remaining three from entering Gaza. Last summer,
the station could not cope with the high volume of sewage, which was
ultimately diverted to a nearby grove where the community had planted
their olive trees and other crops. Since the diversion, all of the crops in
that grove - including some 100 olive trees - died as a result of the
toxic waste that was being pumped into the land. The sewage
continues to flow there to this day. The crops cultivated in this grove
used to provide a source of income and food for the neighbourhood.
Now the entire area has become a wasteland. Sewage water is filling
the streets surrounding the station and flooding nearby houses.
De facto government in Gaza pays civil servants' salaries
The Hamas-led Palestinian de facto government based in the Gaza Strip
on Sunday paid the salaries of civil servants whose salaries the Ramallah-
based caretaker government had stopped paying.
Dozens of protests held worldwide calling for end to Gaza siege
Participating nations include France, UK, Greece, Italy, Netherlands,
Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, Canada, USA, Russia,
Romania, Scotland, Ireland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Morocco, Mauritania,
South Africa, Algeria, Libya, Turkey, Norway, the Sudan, Egypt, Bahrain,
Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Israel, West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Gaza children appeal to UN special envoy to lift the blockade
The children, who gathered today morning in front of the UN's office,
handed over a written appeal to the envoy's assistant,
Mr. Basem al-Khaldi, who in turn promised to convey the children's
concerns to his seniors. Yesterday, the local committee for breaking
the siege launched a one-week-long protest in Gaza and other world
capitals. According to the committee, there are 1500 patients who
are in need of medical treatment at hospitals outside the Gaza Strip,
as many essential supplies have been made scares because of
The Israeli blockade.
Nativity Church deportees to hold weekly sit-in
The Palestinians deported in 2002 from the Nativity Church
in Bethlehem to the Gaza Strip have decided to organize a weekly
sit-in in front of the de facto government's headquarters in Gaza
City, one of the deportees told Ma'an. The families of the
deportees plan to hold a similar demonstration in front of the
office of the governor of Bethlehem. The protestors will demand
that the Palestinians deported to the Gaza Strip and Europe after
the siege of the church in 2002 be allowed to return to their homes.
Palestinians residing in the Palestinian territories without
ID cards will join the sit-in.
14 Fatah PLC members visit Bethlehem to investigate
Israeli segregation policies
"The goal of the visit is to see firsthand the living conditions in the area in
light of the Israeli oppressive measures," said Azzam Al-Ahmad,
speaker of the Fatah bloc in the PLC. He argued that Israel is taking
advantage of the rivalry between Hamas and Fatah in an "ugly" manner.
The governor of Bethlehem described the situation in the district as
precarious, especially with regards to the new Israeli decision to
deliver fuel and other goods through the Tarqumiya crossing south
of Hebron, instead of the terminal in the nearby village of Al-Khader.
He reiterated that he sees this change as a first step towards the
complete closure of Bethlehem. Ta'mari said that as a result of the
decision, textile factories and other industries in Bethlehem will
be forced to close.
Israel, Palestinians to start talks on 'civilian issues' next week
After months of delay, Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Sunday
set up teams of government experts to try to jumpstart U.S.-backed
peace talks that critics say have yet to yield any progress. "The
teams will focus on a range of specific issues, from security to trade
and water use, that would form part of any agreement on a Palestinian
state," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel. Separately,
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and her Palestinian counterpart, former
prime minister Ahmed Quriea (Abu Ala), will continue to 'deal with'
the core issues of borders and the future of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.
Jerusalem first – by Gideon Levy
The Jerusalem issue is easy: half for Jews, half for the Palestinians
– For the moment, that's all there is: Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni on one
side and Mahmoud Abbas and Saeb Erekat on the other - with all their
weaknesses. The talks they are conducting are not meant to bring
peace; even they do not pretend that is the case. After 40 years of
occupation and bloodshed, all that is on the agenda - shamefully -
is a "shelf agreement" that no one can implement at the moment.
If the negotiators want to move ahead, they must begin with the
core issues. Jerusalem must be the first subject on the negotiating
table. If the parties cannot agree on its borders and status, what are these negotiations for?
Livni: We might be obliged to cede part of Israel
"We might be obliged to cede a part of Israel during any
negotiations process with the Palestinians", Livni told a Jerusalem
conference. The Israeli foreign minister, who is also head of the
negotiating team, had earlier dismissed possibility for a Palestinian
state soon, with Hamas holding control of the Gaza Strip.
Where's Dubya? – by Zvi Bar'el
U.S. President George W. Bush is nowhere to be seen. All that's left from
the Annapolis Conference and from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's
vacation trips is the faded logo of the "peace process." It alone can serve
to remind us of what was once there. There is a common assumption that
Israel's peace policy is designed more to appease Washington than to
achieve real peace. This misleading premise has been in operation for
far too long. Look closely at the picture of Israeli-Palestinian reality.
Washington isn't in it.
Ben-Eliezer: Israel must release Barghouti
National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said on Saturday
that a strong Palestinian leader is needed to conclude a peace accord with
Israel and that Israel should release former Tanzim head Marwan Barghouti
from prison. We must release Marwan Barghouti and I say this as the
person who arrested him twice – once in '78 when I was the commander
of Judea and Samaria and he was the head of the Fatah youth and the
second time when I was defense minister," he added.
Who will stop the bulldozers? – by Gerson Gorenberg
If there is a freeze on settlement, you wouldn't know it by looking at
Har Homa. So far, the freeze is mostly talk. At the King David Hotel
in West Jerusalem, Israeli Vice Premier Haim Ramon met with journalists
last Monday. I was told the briefing would be on a plan for paying
compensation to West Bank settlers willing to move back to Israel.
Ramon's support within the ruling Kadima party for such a plan is squishy.
But even a declaration of his intentions would matter: It would say that he
– and by implication Olmert – are ready to spend money and political
capital to shrink settlements. It would be a small step toward getting
Israel out of the West Bank quagmire
Prison death sparks Fatah-Hamas tension
Authorities confirmed the death on Friday of Majed Barghouti, 44, at
an intelligence lockup in the West Bank town of Ramallah, a week after
his arrest. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah forces
control the prison, ordered an investigation. The death raises new
concerns that Fatah forces are violating human rights in their crackdown
on the Islamic militant group Hamas. Hamas detainees have repeatedly
complained of mistreatment by Abbas' forces and Gaza's Hamas
leadership called Barghouti's death a crime.
PA president Abbas orders probe into
death of political prisoner in PA jail
Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, ordered on Saturday
a probe into the death of Majdi Al Barghouthi, who was detained
by the Palestinian Security Forces and died in a Ramallah Hospital
after suffering from a heart attack during interrogation. The
president also expressed his condolences to the family of the
deceased. Al Barghouthi died on Friday evening at age 44. Prior
to his arrest, Al Barghouthi suffered from a heart condition. The
Hamas movement said that Barghouthi was hospitalized for a
short period and was immediately moved to prison where he
was placed under interrogation without any consideration of
his health conditions. The movement added that clear marks of
torture were apparent on the body of Al Barghouthi. Meanwhile,
media sources close to the Hamas movement published the names
of twelve Palestinian political prisoners who died in Palestinian prisons
since the Palestinian Authority was established following the Oslo agreement in 1994.
Palestinian children's playground
partially demolished by Israeli forces
On Friday, February 22, the Israeli military demolished half of a
playground built for the children of Jayyous and Azzoun
villages by USAID and YMCA funds. The military announced
that it has orders to demolish the other half of the playground on
March 15th. Israeli authorities claim that the playground was built
without permits, but Israel has refused to issue building permits for
any construction on Palestinian land in what is called 'Area C'
(aside from illegal Israeli settlements) since 1967.The playground is
the only one of its kind in the region, providing swings, slides and
play structures for the children to enjoy. It was built on private
Palestinian land, which was donated by the owner for the purpose.
Families in the area have called it "an oasis of hope in a sea of hopelessness".
Demolitions destroy West Bank village one house at a time
BEQAA, WEST BANK (IRIN) - A small, overcrowded Palestinian
village in the southern West Bank, under threat from Israeli-
conducted house demolitions and land confiscations, is rapidly
becoming poorer. "Every house here has one child at least who
left because we can't build new homes. Some went to Hebron,
but others left for Amman [Jordan] and places abroad" said Ghassan,
a young man from Beqaa village, who is a refugee registered with the
UN. There are only about 55 homes for over 1,800 people. Around 20
other homes have been demolished in the last 12 years by the Israeli
authorities. The demolitions and expropriations began in the 1980s
when the settlement of Kiryat Arba started to expand. The new o
rders also hit the village's joint project to build a clinic.
IIsraeli forces tie up traffic at
Huwwara checkpoint near Nablus
Israeli forces further impeded the movement of Palestinians in and out
of the city of Nablus on Sunday morning, bringing traffic to a standstill
at the Huwwara checkpoint. Witnesses said that Israeli soldiers lined
Palestinian commuters up on the side of the road, slowly searching
each person. Workers and students could not reach their destinations
on time. The Israeli military has imposed strict closure on the city
over the last two weeks, installing new checkpoints and tightening
restrictions at existing roadblocks on the pretext of security concerns.
Palestinian fighters in Nablus to receive
cash if they give up armed struggle
The governor of Nablus, Jamal Muheisin, announced on Sunday that
Palestinians wanted by Israel in the northern will receive a cash reward
if they willingly turn over their weapons. Muheisin said that wanted
Palestinian activists will be placed under a three month probation
period, but will not be arrested, as a precondition for being pardoned.
He added that the Palestinian Authority is putting effort into providing
the best detention conditions for those who take up this offer.
Israeli forces raid Qabatiya
Jenin – Ma'an – More than 30 Israeli military vehicles raided the
northern West Bank town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, on Sunday
morning and ransacked several Palestinian homes. Snipers were
deployed on roofs of tall buildings. Local sources told Ma'an's
reporter that the Israeli forces entered the town from the north at
2:00 am. No casualties or arrests have been reported.
For IDF brigade, 'Hebron is like the Wild
West and the army is the law'
Shooting Palestinian bystanders; illegally commandeering cars
and going on joyrides; torturing a youth by pressing a heater to
his face and beating cuffed prisoners on their way to custody.
These are only some of the reported cases of abuse for which
Israel Defense Forces soldiers serving in the West Bank are
currently on trial. "We've been hit by a tsunami," said the
commander of the Kfir Brigade, members of which were recently
implicated in a rampage through a West Bank town that left two
Palestinians wounded, one of them seriously. Kfir is the largest
IDF unit in the West Bank. But some officers say that the incident,
while lamentable, is not unusual; what is different about this case,
they say, is that most units involved in such incidents sweep them
under the carpet. Channel 2 television's "Fact" investigative
program recently aired additional alleged incidents of abuse by
soldiers in the Kfir Brigade. In another instance, soldiers at
roadblocks choked 10-year-old Palestinians with their bare hands
until the children passed out.
Israel to confiscate 766 dunums of
Palestinian land near Hebron
Hebron – Ma'an – Israeli authorities issued a military order on
Saturday to confiscate 766 dunams (a dunam is 1000 square meters.
or about one-quarter acre) of Palestinian land belonging to the
West Bank town of Adh-Dhahiriyya as well as land belonging to
the Ramadin clan south of Hebron. The land is to be used for
expansion of the Israeli settlement of Eshkolot. Palestinian
cartographic expert Abdul-Hadi Hantash told Ma'an's reporter that the
Israeli authorities handed warrants to Palestinian farmers. According to
the Israelis the confiscation orders fall under the category of "border adjustment."
Israeli activists attacked by Israeli settlers
on Palestinian land Saturday
A group of Israeli peace workers were attacked Saturday near
Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, as they escorted
Palestinian shepherds to their grazing land. According to
Israeli sources, the attackers came from the nearby settlement
of Maon, built on land illegally seized from the Palestinians.
The victims report that they were surrounded by ninety armed
settlers who shouted epithets, threw rocks at them and physically attacked them
Israeli army and settlers attack Palestinian farmers
near Hebron on Sunday morning
A group of Israeli troops and settlers attacked Palestinian
farmers in the village of Al Towani, located near the southern
West Bank city of Hebron. Christian Peace Maker Team (CPT)
workers told IMEMC that the farmers were grazing their sheep
near their village when Israeli troops attacked them and their sheep,
forcing them to leave. The human right workers also said the
soldiers threatened to kidnap the shepherds if they came back to the land again.
14 FAO projects to assist Palestinian farmers
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is assisting
Palestinian farmers, shepherds and fisherman in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip with 14 projects intended to stimulate agricultural
production through horticulture, greenhouse and irrigation rehabilitation,
SPA reported on Saturday. A fund of $10 million has been provided by
Italy, Spain, Japan, Norway, the European Commission and the United
Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, according
to the FAO release. FAO has appealed for $7.3 million in additional funding for this year.
ISM: Houses in Far'un village face imminent demolition
The homes, built on the western perimeter of the village, both
lie within 50 meters of the segregation wall. Israeli authorities
usually require the separation wall to have a "buffer zone" of up to
200 metres of empty land for security purposes. The houses,
however, were built in 1998 – six years prior to the construction of
the wall, which was completed in the Tulkarem region in 2004.
Nonetheless, Israeli authorities have declared the houses "illegal structures",
despite having needlessly constructed the wall so close to residential dwellings.
ISM: Issa's House is broken into as
intimidation increases in Tel Rumeida
HRWs were scheduled to hold a Gaza Solidarity Action at Issa's House
Saturday morning but on Friday night soldiers from the military outpost
within the settlement broke into the long coveted property and stole gas,
cameras, a stereo, a laptop, a water heater and all the preparation for
next year's summer camp. Complaints have been filed to the police.
Israeli army kidnaps four civilians in
southern part of West Bank Saturday
Two civilians were taken from the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem
when Israeli soldiers invaded the city and searched homes there. Local
sources identified the two as Adham Al Arraj, 28, and Khalil Rabayi'ah,
35. Also today the Israeli army invaded the town of Sourif, located near
Hebron city in the southern part of the West Bank and kidnapped two civilians.
Israel keeps Palestinian offices shut
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel is keeping Palestinian institutions
in east Jerusalem shut tight, despite its pledge to reopen them
under a recently revived peace plan. Israel this month renewed its
order to close a leading Palestinian center known as Orient House,
the city's Arab Chamber of Commerce and other symbolic buildings
that are rallying points for the Palestinians' claims to Jerusalem's
eastern sector, the officials said. The fate of east Jerusalem is the most
explosive issue facing Israeli and Palestinian peace negotiators, and the
closures are the latest area of dispute in the peace talks
Study: Palestinian suicide bombers 'not mentally unstable'
In an extensive study of Palestinian suicide bombings, three
University of Toronto researchers have concluded that the bombers
were not psychologically unstable and were often motivated by
personal vengeance, not religious zeal. Brym concluded, "In its
origins and at its core, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not religiously
inspired, and suicide bombing, despite its frequent religious trappings,
is fundamentally the expression of a territorial dispute." [not a new
finding – see Dying To Win: the strategic logic of suicide terrorism
by Robert A. Pape (2005), which deals with many groups, including
the leading practitioners of suicide terrorism, the Tamil Tigers of Sri
Lanka, who are Marxist-Leninists coming from Hindu backgrounds]
Palestinian-born lawyer wins prestigious UK award
At a major function of over six hundred lawyers, Mr Michel Massih
was awarded the coveted title of Outstanding Criminal Lawyer of the
Year. He came to the UK from Jerusalem as a young boy on his own
to study for his 'A' levels; while he was studying the Arab-Israel war
broke out and he had to work in order to support himself . . .
He became a barrister in 1979 and a Queen's Counsel in 1999. Since
then he has been involved in some of the highest profile cases in
England, including defending the most famous terror trials over the last
20 years. He is the only Queen's Counsel of Arab origin in the world.
Three cheers for Kosova! – by Uri Avnery
When millions of people erroneously believe that they are a nation,
conduct themselves like a nation and fight like a nation - well, then they
are a nation – Indeed, much as Serbs are different from Israelis, it
seems that we have a lot in common. Both peoples believe that "the whole
world is against us". Both are completely convinced that they are absolutely
in the right, even when everybody else is telling them otherwise. Like the
Israelis, the Serbs are also immersed in their past. For them as for us, history
is more important than the present. The future is a hostage of the past.
Canada: Palestinian solidarity activists under attack
CAIA calls on all supporters of Palestinian rights to defend the right to
organise at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. Last week,
the McMaster Provost office, second in authority to that of the president's
office, announced that student clubs were banned from using the term "Israeli apartheid".
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