Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Re: [Peoples War] Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines April 28, 2009 ~


 
palashcbiswas,
 gostokanan, sodepur, kolkata-700110 phone:033-25659551



From: Shadi Fadda <f_shadi@yahoo.com>
To: president@whitehouse.gov
Cc: enquiry@dfid.gov.uk; inquiries@un.org
Sent: Tuesday, 28 April, 2009 20:57:21
Subject: [Peoples War] Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines April 28, 2009 ~



Land Theft
Israel building 60 new homes for Orthodox Jews in Occupied Jerusalem
Israel has begun construction on some 60 new housing units in Jewish settlements in Occupied East Jerusalem, anti-settlement Peace Now group said Monday. "The works aim to build 60 housing units for Orthodox religious Jewish families right next to the Palestinian neighborhood of Arab al-Sawahra," Peace Now spokeswoman Hagit Ofran told AFP.
http://www.dailysta r.com.lb/ article.asp? edition_id= 10&categ_id=2&article_id=101434


Settlers take over land, destroy crops near Hebron
Israeli settlers destroyed Palestinian farmers' crops and took over land that belongs to farmers near the southern West Bank city of Hebron, while soldiers searched homes in the old city part on Tuesday.
http://www.imemc. org/article/ 60137


Fayyad government: Expansion of Ma'ale Adumim could cause 'explosion'
Ramallah – Ma'an – The Palestinian caretaker cabinet condemned a proposed expansion of the illegal Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumim on Monday as a step that could cause the region to "explode."  The cabinet, led by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, issued a declaration saying that the proposal would sever the West Bank into two sections, denying any possibility of the creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.
http://www.maannews .net/en/index. php?opr=ShowDeta ils&ID=37412


Peace Now: Olmert government built, planned 9,000 homes on war-won land

Israeli watchdog groups call on Obama to pressure Netanyahu to halt settlement expansion. 'International community must save Israel from itself, because we are losing the two-state solution,' peace activist says.
http://www.ynetnews .com/articles/ 0,7340,L- 3707744,00. html


Israeli Aggression and Attacks against Palestinians/ Siege
Israeli soldiers shoot 62-year-old Palestinian man at checkpoint
Hebron – Ma'an – Israeli soldiers shot a 62-year-old Palestinian man in the legs near the Tarqumia crossing, west of the West Bank city of Hebron on Monday afternoon.  According to the Palestinian Authority security forces, the soldiers shot Azzam Muhammad Abdel Hadi Abu Asbah, suspecting him of attempting to attack the checkpoint.  Medics at the Hebron Public Hospital said Abu Asbah is seriously injured.
http://www.maannews .net/en/index. php?opr=ShowDeta ils&ID=37411


Palestinians: Teen shot by settler
Sources in West Bank say 17-year-old farmer shot by Jewish settler while working his land; settlers claim Palestinians threw stones at settler's vehicle. Teen sustains moderate to serious wounds from bullet that entered his back and exited his chest.
http://www.ynetnews .com/articles/ 0,7340,L- 3707681,00. html


Four Palestinians wounded with IOF bullets near Mintar crossing
Four Palestinian citizens were wounded on Monday near the Mintar commercial crossing east of Gaza city at the hands of Israeli occupation forces.
http://www.palestin e-info.co. uk/En/


Non-violent protests against West Bank barrier turn increasingly dangerous
Palestinian demonstrations intended to be peaceful met with Israeli teargas, stun grenades and sometimes live ammunition.
http://www.guardian .co..uk/world/ 2009/apr/ 27/israel- security- barrier-protests


Justice?:  Israeli border police officers jailed for 2002 kidnapping, killing of Hebron teenager
Bethlehem – Ma'an/Agencies – Israel's Jerusalem District Court sentenced two border police officers to prison terms on Monday for kidnapping and killing a young Palestinian from the West Bank city of Hebron in 2002.  According to the indictment, four Israeli officers kidnapped 17-year-old Amran Abu Hamadya in Hebron in December 2002. They dragged him into their jeep, proceeded to beat him and eventually threw him out of the car at high speed.
http://www.maannews .net/en/index. php?opr=ShowDeta ils&ID=37410


Palestinian mother slams son's killers' sentence as 'pathetic'

Mother of 17-year-old who was kidnapped, killed by Border Guard officers in 2002 says murderers should have been sentenced to life in prison. 'Only God can make up for my son's death,' she says.
http://www.ynetnews .com/articles/ 0,7340,L- 3707767,00. html


What's wrong with this sentence: Kidnap a teenager, beat him, kill him by pushing him out of a jeep, get 5-1/2 years
News from Israel. Border police (Magav) officers who kidnapped and then murdered a 17-year-old Palestinian got off with light sentences, 8-1/2 years, 5-1/2 years.  Compare with the news piece on the capture of the Palestinian who has apparently admitted killing a 13-year-old Jewish boy living in the Bat Ayin settlement. The boy's family is demanding a death sentence. It is likely that he will receive a life sentence.) -- Ori Folger
http://www.philipwe iss.org/mondowei ss/2009/04/ whats-wrong- with-this- sentence- kidnap-a- teenager- beat-him- kill-him- by-pushing- him-out-of- a-jeep-get- .html


Israel ceremony chokes off West Bank
Israel has sealed off the Palestinian West Bank as part of a ceremony that evokes memories of the soldiers killed for the Zionist movement.  Israeli military forces shut down checkpoints in the West Bank in anticipation of their annual memorial day for soldiers killed for the establishment of Israel. The commemoration will mark the 61st anniversary of the occupation of the Palestinian homeland.
http://www.presstv. ir/detail. aspx?id=92791&sectionid=351020202

Detentions

Army kidnaps two Palestinian teenagers, claims of plan to stab
Two Palestinians teenagers were kidnapped on Tuesday at midday by Israeli troops at a checkpoint near the Ibrahim mosque (Tomb of Patriarchs) in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
http://www.imemc. org/article/ 60139


IOF detains 2 Palestinians in Nablus
Ramallah, April 28, 2009 (Ramattan) – The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) detained on Tuesday morning at least two Palestinian youth in the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian security sources said.
http://english. ramattan. net/newsdetails. .aspx?news_ id=40294

Visiting Daddy in Prison: A Palestinian Ordeal
Time.com - To visit their father in an Israeli prison, three sisters make an arduous odyssey from the West Bank town of Qalqilya.
http://news. yahoo.com/ s/time/20090428/ wl_time/08599189 362000


Humanitarian Issues

Gaza again on brink of disaster, says Scots aid chief
TENS of thousands of people struggling to rebuild their lives in the Gaza Strip after Israel's 22-day military offensive this year will face a second humanitarian disaster within weeks, because aid is not getting through, the Scot heading the British Red Cross international relief effort has warned.
http://news. scotsman. com/world/ Gaza-again- on-brink- of.5210908. jp


Union of Muslim contractors calls for using simple materials to reconstruct Gaza
The union of the Islamic states' contractors called on all concerned Arab parties to contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza through using simple raw materials that are available in the Strip.
http://www.palestin e-info.co. uk/En/


Sick Gazans victims of Hamas-Fatah power struggle
AP - Hundreds of Palestinian patients have been trapped in the Gaza Strip, unable to travel abroad for crucial treatment for cancer and other diseases, because of political infighting between Gaza's militant Hamas rulers and their Palestinian rivals.
http://us.rd. yahoo.com/ dailynews/ rss/mideast/ *http://news. yahoo.com/ s/ap/20090428/ ap_on_re_ mi_ea/ml_ palestinians_ trapped_patients


MIDEAST:  If Only They Could See
AMSTERDAM, Apr 28 (IPS) - Mohammed Al-Sheikh Yousef could save his eyesight if only he could cross the border out of Gaza. He was denied a permit by Israel; he got one from Egypt, but not for someone to accompany him. And he can't go on his own because he cannot see very well.
http://www.ipsnews. net/news. asp?idnews= 46645

War Crimes
Physicians offer chilling account of Gaza atrocities
Renowned Chinese-English physician Dr. Swee Ang gave a moving testimony on Saturday of Israel's destruction in the Gaza Strip as witnessed in her recent trip to the tiny Palestinian enclave. "Cluster bombs, deliberate assassinations of whole families that they would line up and shoot," Ang said.
http://www.dailysta r.com.lb/ article.asp? edition_id= 1&categ_id=1&article_id=101419


Collaborators/ Corruption
Hamas spokesman's brother arrested in Egypt (AFP)
AFP - A brother of a spokesman for the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas which rules Gaza has been detained on suspicion of illegal entry to Egypt, a security official said on Tuesday.
http://news. yahoo.com/ s/afp/20090428/ wl_mideast_ afp/mideastconfl ictegyptgazaarre st


Egypt discovers new tunnel at Gaza border
CAIRO, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian security forces discovered on Monday a new tunnel used for smuggling foodstuffs at the border with the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip.  The Egyptian authorities discovered the tunnel in Rafah town between Egypt and the Gaza Strip from the Egyptian side and confiscated different shipments of goods found at the entrance of the tunnel.
http://news. xinhuanet. com/english/ 2009-04/28/ content_11269772 .htm


Egypt puts the bite on Gaza tunnel smugglers

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Once a profitable business, Abu Abdallah's tunnel under the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip has been out of work for three weeks due to an Egyptian security crackdown on smuggling.  The Palestinian network of some 3,000 tunnels, created to thwart Israel's blockade of the coastal territory ruled by Hamas Islamists, was reduced to hundreds by bombing during Israel's three-week offensive in January.
http://www.reuters. com/article/ worldNews/ idUSTRE53R2JM200 90428


EGYPT:  Dubious Claims Spark Row With Hizbullah
CAIRO, Apr 27 (IPS) - Egyptian authorities announced earlier this month the discovery of a Hizbullah "cell" allegedly planning to carry out violent operations in Egypt. Although Hizbullah chief Hasan Nasrallah insists the group was only tasked to assist the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, the government has used the episode to launch a blistering media campaign against the Lebanese Shia resistance group.
http://www.ipsnews. net/news. asp?idnews= 46643


Report: 3 Lebanon men admit spying on Hezbollah for Israel

Two Lebanese men and a Palestinian have confessed to supplying Israeli intelligence agents with information regarding Hezbollah's activities, media outlets in Lebanon reported on Tuesday.
http://www.haaretz. com/hasen/ spages/1081768. html


Army Carries Out Raids Targeting Agent Brother's Home in Sidon
28/04/2009 Security sources in the capital of the South, Sidon, said on Tuesday that a Lebanese Army unit carried out raids in Harat Saida near (Speaker) Nabih Berri Avenue, targeting the home of an Israeli Mossad-linked agent's brother in the city.  According to the sources, the army unit stormed into the house of Palestinian Moujahed Awad, the brother of Mohamad Ibrahim Awad who was accused last week of spying for the Israeli enemy.   Awad, a member of the Israeli Mossad-Linked cell uncovered in Sidon last week, is reportedly the cousin of Abdul Rahman Awad, believed to be the successor of Fatah al-Islam leader Shaker Abssi.
http://almanar. com.lb/NewsSite/ NewsDetails. aspx?id=83538&language=en

US plans to expand programme for Abbas's forces
TULKARM, West Bank, April 27 (Reuters) - The United States plans to expand a programme to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's security forces in the occupied West Bank, the general in charge of training and equipping them said on Monday.  "We have plans to train at least three more battalions before this time next year," Lieutenant General Keith Dayton told Reuters. Each battalion has about 500 members.
http://www.alertnet .org/thenews/ newsdesk/ LR571304. htm

Dahlan comeback to Gaza fails
CAIRO (IPS) - The recent onslaught against the Gaza Strip -- and Israel's failure to achieve its military objectives there -- left Palestinian resistance group Hamas politically stronger than ever. Concurrently, it dealt a possible death blow to the faction within Fatah led by strongman Mohammed Dahlan, long known for its closeness to Israel.
http://electronicin tifada.net/ v2/article10486. shtml

USAID Contracts with Sons of Abbas Called Into Question
Reuters' recent review of U.S. aid programs in the Palestinian territories uncovered two USAID contracts made with the sons of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that are involved with the agency's attempts to promote a better public image of the U.S., winning over the hearts and minds of the Palestinians through advertising and infrastructure. Sky Advertising, managed by Abbas' son Tarek, was awarded a $659,600 contract in May 2006, to take part in a USAID's campaign to "reduce the negative attitudes and skepticism held by many Palestinians towards economic assistance from the American people." The other contract of $1.89 million was awarded in May 2005 to a firm owned by Yasser Abbas, Falcon Electro Mechanical Contracting Company, to build a sewage treatment facility in the West Bank.
http://www.allgov. com/ViewNews/ USAID_Contracts_ with_Sons_ of_Abbas_ Called_Into_ Question_ 90427


PA military court sentences man to death by hanging for selling land to Israelis
Hebron – Ma'an – A special Palestinian Authority (PA) military court in Hebron in the sentenced a Palestinian man to death by hanging after he was found guilty of selling land to Israeli settlers on Tuesday.  This is the first time a Palestinian court has handed down a conviction for treason in a case relating to land sales. The suspect is from the Hebron area.
http://www.maannews .net/en/index. php?opr=ShowDeta ils&ID=37424


Abbas Propaganda in the West Bank
More pics for you from what one reader termed 'the PA vomiting all over town'.  These were taken by Um Mazen in the Masyoun neighborhood of Ramallah, and clearly show the offensive sight of Abbas****** face pasted on people's homes and private property.  Incidentaly, our brave munadila was stopped and questioned as she took the pictures by a thug with a Abbas***** poster adorning his rear window, who then proceeded to tail her all the way to work.
http://www.kabobfes t.com/2009/ 04/abbas- really-truely- is-asshole. html

Political Developments
Fatah is turning into a footnote
The future of Fatah is up in the air. Internal divisions and a confused political programme – problems that arguably date back decades – have led this historic Palestinian party to a moment of truth. It is no exaggeration to say that the crisis is of sufficient proportions that Fatah's continued existence as a political force to be reckoned with is under threat. This can be best illustrated by a non-event, namely the sixth Fatah general conference, which some 20 years on since the last such meeting, continues to be bereft of a firm date or location. Rumours come and go about when – or even if – the conference will be held; in public, the official line is that the inordinate delay is a result of the necessary preparations.
http://www.guardian .co.uk/commentis free/2009/ apr/28/fatah- crisis-palestini an-party


Fatah leaders clash in Jordan during Sixth Fatah Conference preparatory meeting

Bethlehem – Ma'an Exclusive – Fatah leaders Hakam Bal'awi and Nasser Yousef brawled on Monday in Jordan as the two attended a planning meeting ahead of the Sixth Fatah conference, sources inside the movement said.
http://www.maannews .net/en/index. php?opr=ShowDeta ils&ID=37414


Erekat calls for end to Palestinian split to establish statehood
RAMALLAH, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian negotiator on Monday said the Palestinian statehood became a known reality, calling for Palestinian unity to go ahead for the establishment of such a state.  "The Palestinian statehood became a known reality that required the end of the split and the improvement of the performance of the civil, security and public institutions, " said the negotiator, Saeb Erekat.
http://news. xinhuanet. com/english/ 2009-04/27/ content_11268269 .htm


Fatah, Hamas end dispute over PLO
Bethlehem/Cairo – Ma'an – Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have agreed to accept the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as a "national reference" until new elections are held for the Palestine National Council (PNC).  By agreeing this the parties resolved a recent dispute in which Hamas called for the PLO to be replaced with a more inclusive organization. The PLO does not include Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
http://www.maannews .net/en/index. php?opr=ShowDeta ils&ID=37417


Venezuela establishes ties with Palestinians (AP)
AP - Venezuela on Monday established formal diplomatic ties with Palestinian officials, who are opening a diplomatic mission in the South American country.
http://news. yahoo.com/ s/ap/20090427/ ap_on_re_ la_am_ca/ lt_venezuela_ palestinians


Abu Al Ghiet: new Israeli government did not present any positive step towards peace
Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmad Abu Al Gheit, stated on Monday at night, that the new Israeli government did not put forward any positive step towards increasing the pace of the peace process with the Palestinians.
http://www.imemc. org/article/ 60136


PM aide: Netanyahu's Mideast policy likely by time of U.S. visit
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's review of Israel's policy on the Middle East is expected to be completed by the time he visits the United States next month, an aide to the premier said Tuesday.
http://www.haaretz. com/hasen/ spages/1081778. html


Netanyahu on fence over meeting with Abbas on peace talks

Bethlehem – Ma'an – Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu will not meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas until after his visits to Washington and Cairo, Israeli political sources said Tuesday.  Analysts expect Netanyahu to consult with the American and Egyptian Presidents on the course of peace talks and the position of the new Israeli government with regards to a peace solution.
http://www.maannews .net/en/index. php?opr=ShowDeta ils&ID=37427


Other News
PA: Olmert received an offer, then bombed Gaza
Chief negotiator Erekat says written plan for long-term peace was also submitted to President Bush in late December.
http://www.ynetnews .com/articles/ 0,7340,L- 3707879,00. html


MK Barakeh faces additional charges
Attorney general plans to file indictment against Hadash chairman for disrupting police work during Nazareth demonstration against Defense Minister Barak; decision pending hearing. Barakeh: Mazuz was sent by political elements.
http://www.ynetnews .com/articles/ 0,7340,L- 3707833,00. html


Israelis announce intention to issue another indictment against Mohammed Barakeh for demonstrating
Jerusalem / PNN – Palestinian member of the Knesset Mohammad Barakeh is again the target of the Israeli government.  The Office of the Attorney General of the Israeli Government's Counsel General Menachem Mazuz issued a decision to provide a new indictment against Deputy Barakeh, Chairman of the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality.
http://english. pnn..ps/index. php?option= com_content&task=view&id=5165


EXCLUSIVE-Debate over control of Palestinian investment fund
* Watchdog groups say government oversight needed
* Fund says private sector board good for long-term growth
http://www.reuters. com/article/ latestCrisis/ idUSLQ581028


Jerusalem Central Court indicts Hebron man of attempting to buy Chinese weapons to send to Gaza
The Israeli Central Court in Jerusalem filed what was described as "conspiracy charges" against a 33-year-old man from the southern West Bank city of Hebron, after claiming he attempted to buy ammunition from china with the intend to transfer to the Gaza Strip.
http://www.imemc. org/article/ 60130


Reps Baird & Ellison: continued settlements engender violence
Congressmen Brian Baird and Keith Ellison have published a beautiful piece on American policy in Israel/Palestine in the Seattle Times. Excerpts below. A few comments first.
http://www.philipwe iss.org/mondowei ss/2009/04/ reps-baird- ellison-continue d-settlements- engender- violence- .html

After Lieberman remarks, Assad repeats Syria demand for Golan
Syrian President Bashar Assad repeated Monday his country's demand for the return of the Golan Heights after Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday that Syria should drop the demand as a precondition to peace talks.
http://www.haaretz. com/hasen/ spages/1081539. html


Barak: Israel can and must make peace within three years
"I am certain it is possible and certainly necessary to act with all our might to achieve peace even before I turn 70, which will be in three years," said Defense Minister Ehud Barak in his first extensive interview since joining the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
http://www.haaretz. com/hasen/ spages/1081727. html


US Rep.traded favors with Jewish lobby: report
A California Democratic congresswoman long involved in intelligence issues has come under fire after she allegedly promised to trade favors with the Jewish lobby in a phone conversation with suspected Israeli spies that was recorded by the National Security Agency as part of a wiretapping probe.
http://www.alarabiy a.net/articles/ 2009/04/27/ 71558.html


Saban's financial leverage is in a long tradition of 'practical politics' in the Israel lobby

People seem to be leaving out the plainest part of the Jane Harman scandal, which is actually the worst part of it: the importance of big money to the Israel lobby.  Leave aside the legal issues--whether or not Harman cut a corrupt deal, whether or not Nancy Pelosi played ball, whether or not Alberto Gonzales cut Harman a break because she was so useful to the neocon White House--the lever of influence in the matter was said to be Haim Saban, who gives tons to the Democratic Party and is an ardent Zionist. Per Jeff Stein's reporting in CQ, Saban was to politically blackmail Pelosi. withholding contributions, unless she came through on Harman's Intelligence committee status.
http://www.philipwe iss.org/mondowei ss/2009/04/ the-beauty- of-the-jane- harman-story- is-that-it- is-so-paradigmat ic-of-how- the-israel- lobby-works- philip-giraldi- says-that- the.html


Soldier who faked sick notes sent to jail
'Business' launched by IDF serviceman supplied troops with hundreds of medical certificates, including during Gaza offensive. Soldier to serve eight-month prison sentence, pay fine of NIS 3,500.
http://www.ynetnews .com/articles/ 0,7340,L- 3707808,00. html


Who is next?
Ad in Ha`aretz - On Sunday this week police investigation was started against activists of "New Profile". This severe violation of the Freedom of Speech and the Freedom of Association threatens all of us. Today New Profile is the target - tomorrow, all who dare to think independently, express themselves freely, and promote justice and equality.
http://www.kibush. co.il/show_ file.asp? num=33176 


Relatives kidnap girl 'forced to be religious'
Mother and three family members took 17-year-old girl by force from host apartment in Bnei Brak, claim daughter was abused, forced into religious lifestyle.
http://www.ynetnews .com/articles/ 0,7340,L- 3707936,00. html


New book questions Israel's survival
Jerusalem-based journalist Aaron Klein releases new book titled, 'The Late, Great State of Israel', in which he asserts that Israel's policy is leading the country to its demise.
http://www.ynetnews .com/articles/ 0,7340,L- 3707452,00. html


Palestinian theatre offers youths a breath of freedom

JENIN, West Bank (AFP) — Bisam Astiti takes her role very seriously -- the theatre is one of the few places where the 13-year-old living in the stranglehold of Israeli occupation can feel free.  "Acting helps me be stronger and to free myself from worries," says the doe-eyed Palestinian teenager, her long black hair pulled back in a ponytail.
http://www.google. com/hostednews/ afp/article/ ALeqM5hDQe_ PMB4LQaC4ySxmMI0 l8_iNMQ


Palestine Motorsport season to kick off in Nablus Friday

Nablus – Ma'an – The second round of Palestine's 2009 Motorsport series will begin Friday in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.  Men and women motorsport racers have been practicing in Jericho all week in advance of the Nablus event, sponsored by Wataniyeh Communications and coordinated by the Palestinian Motor Sport and Motorcycle Federation with Nablus Mayor Dr Jamal Muheisen.
http://www.maannews .net/en/index. php?opr=ShowDeta ils&ID=37425


Israeli Propaganda/Lies
Peres: Be on the right side, our side
Remembrance Day ceremony held at Western Wall as nation observes minute-long silence in honor of 22,570 fallen. 'We don't want war, but if war is forced on us, I suggest to our friends and enemies to be on the right side, on the side that has always won and will always win,' president says in opening address.
http://www.ynetnews .com/articles/ 0,7340,L- 3707711,00. html


Israel says it shares water fairly with Palestinians (AFP)
AFP - Israel insisted on Tuesday that it shares water resources with Palestinians in a fair manner, rejecting World Bank claims that it draws more than its quota from the common aquifer.
http://news. yahoo.com/ s/afp/20090428/ wl_mideast_ afp/mideastconfl ictpalestinianwa terworldbank

'Every step that strengthens Hamas only distances peace'
Officials in Jerusalem were surprised by a report in the L.A. Times Monday that the Obama administration has asked Congress to amend U..S. law to enable the Palestinian Authority to receive federal aid even if Hamas joins a unity coalition.
http://www.haaretz. com/hasen/ spages/1081631. html


Solidarity/Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment

Abe Hayeem: Boycott this Israeli settlement builder
The UK Foreign Office will no longer rent from Lev Leviev.. Now other states must also boycott this builder of illegal settlements. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office must be commended for its decision to cancel renting premises for the UK embassy in Tel Aviv from the company Africa-Israel, owned by Israeli businessman and settlement builder Lev Leviev. This is an encouraging step that should now be backed by stronger sanctions against the building of the separation wall and the building of illegal settlements by Israel. Furthermore, the governments of Norway and Dubai should emulate the example set by the UK and sever their relationships with Leviev's companies.
http://www.guardian .co.uk/commentis free/2009/ apr/28/israel- boycott-leviev


Scottish delegation decides to bring more convoys to break siege on Gaza
Members of the Scottish delegation who left the besieged Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing point a couple of days after they paid a solidarity visit to it vowed to lead more convoys to Gaza.
http://www.palestin e-info.co. uk/En/


British circus to participate in Hope convoy heading to impoverished Gaza
A British group specialized in entertainment declared its intention to go along with the "Hope" convoy to the Gaza Strip to give psychosocial and recreational support for Gaza children.
http://www.palestin e-info.co. uk/En/

Free Gaza: "Disabled Europeans join Hope convoy heading to Gaza"
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC - Convoy spokesman Ramy Abdu said that the convoy will also be bringing a number of "micro-electrical vehicles for disabled Gazans", in addition to hearing and medical kits, and medical equipment.
http://www.imemc. org/article/ 60133


At the Tribeca Film Festival.... 'Rachel'
Things are changing. Three years ago the New York Theatre Workshop hit a roadblock when it wanted to produce the late Rachel Corrie's own words, in My Name Is Rachel Corrie. Tomorrow night the Tribeca Film Festival shows a movie about her by the European director Simone Bitton, with a hat tip to the International Solidarity Movement, of which brave Rachel Corrie was a member, and no one's going crazy. Co-presented by Human Rights Watch. Apparently the Corries will be there. Of "Rachel": Director Simone Bitton aligns her filmmaking methodology with the International Solidarity Movement's guidelines to state only objective and concrete details without placing judgment. Balancing interviews with the Israeli Defense Force's current and former personnel and the participants and leaders in the ISM, Bitton examines the circumstances surrounding the unresolved case of Corrie's death.  Is this part of Brian Baird's commitment to Gaza? Because he lost a constituent to this madness?
http://www.philipwe iss.org/mondowei ss/2009/04/ at-the-tribeca- film-festival- rachel-.html


Q&A with the director of "Rachel" | "You can still see her face ... "
The story of the death of Olympia native and activist Rachel Corrie is told in a new film by French filmmaker Simone Bitton; it plays at Tribeca Film Festival on April 28, 30 and May 1.  Directed by Simone Bitton and playing at New York's Tribeca Film Festival, 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m. Thursday and 6:30 p.m. Friday, AMC Village VII, 66 Third Ave., New York City. The festival continues through May 3 at numerous venues in New York (646-502-5296 or www.tribecafilm. com). On March 16, 2003, at the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, Rachel Corrie, an Olympia native and Evergreen State College student, was crushed by a bulldozer. Corrie, 23, had been protesting the razing of Palestinian homes when she fatally crossed paths with the Israeli Defense Forces' Caterpillar D9.
http://seattletimes .nwsource. com/html/ movies/200913195 0_tribeca26. html


Anti-Solidarity/ Prop-Apartheid
Norway gov't, banks investing in settlement construction company
As the pressure on companies to pull out from business facilitating Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip grows, it has been recently revealed that in Norway three private banks and the state pension fund invested in one such company. Adri Nieuwhof reports for The Electronic Intifada.
http://electronicin tifada.net/ v2/article10487. shtml


Analysis/Op- ed
Michael Schwartz: An Ugly and Symptomatic Consequence of Israel's Palestinian Occupation
A recent article written by Israeli journalist, Uri Blau, and published in the Israeli national newspaper Haaretz, details a small, but symptomatic aspect of Israel's colonial policy toward the Palestinians: the dehumanizing attitudes that some Israeli soldiers adopt toward the Palestinians. Apparently, it is a custom that small units (squads, platoons, etc) in the Israel Defense Forces commission custom-made t-shirts and other apparel "featuring their unit's insignia, usually accompanied by a slogan and drawing of their choosing." The slogan and drawing typically express various (often x-rated or iconoclastic) attitudes, which the members of these units then wear in informal or civilian settings.
http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ michael-schwartz /an-ugly- and-symptomatic- c_b_191576. html

Arab citizens find no joy on anniversary of Israel's creation
When Israel marks its 61st anniversary this week, most Arab Israelis, who make up 20 percent of the population, will not celebrate. To many in the Arab minority, the birth of a state that describes itself as a Jewish homeland is no cause for rejoicing.
http://www.dailysta r.com.lb/ article.asp? edition_id= 10&categ_id=2&article_id=101417


Arabs remain marginalised in Israel
When Israel marks its 61st anniversary this week, most of the Arab citizens who make up 20 per cent of the population will not celebrate.
The Zionist movement and sports in Palestine
Even today, there remains a great deal of misinformation on Palestinian websites regarding the participation of Palestine in the 1934 and 1938 World Cup tournaments. Such misinformation generally comes from individuals who are not familiar with the historical facts and must be corrected. Issam Khalidi looks at the history of the Zionist movement and sports in Palestine.
http://electronicin tifada.net/ v2/article10484. shtml


'Maariv' journalist says 'latent racism' is 'de-facto national policy'

I wish I could keep my chauvinism down, but when I see Jews waking up in print and song and html as sentient beings to the horror of Israeli policy, to try and lead the world out of this mess, it makes me want to be a part of a Jewish community. Here is Noam Sheizaf (of the daily paper "Ma'ariv") at Promised Land on the latest wrinkle in the Israeli train company's efforts to prevent Arabs from working as crossing lookouts:The great effort on the company's behalf to at least keep the option of firing its Arab workers is further proof to my claim that discrimination and latent racism is not just part of the extreme-right politics in Israel, but rather a de-facto national policy.
http://www.philipwe iss.org/mondowei ss/2009/04/ maariv-journalis t-says-latent- racism-is- defacto-national -policy.html


Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, who is the Racist of them All
It seems that Durban Anti-Racism Review Conference II that started last Monday April 20th in Geneva has concluded with the worthless ineffective declaration with 143 articles calling for the protection of vulnerable minorities, and urging states to combat impunity for crimes of genocide. It also named "neo-Nazi, neo-Fascism, and other violent national ideologies" as dangers that need to be combated. These are routine calls that are not new and are known to every state. More like Durban I there were no solutions, no action plans, no regulations, no laws, and no remedial and preventative measures to racism, discriminations and xenophobia.
http://sabbah. .biz/mt/archives /2009/04/ 27/elias- akleh-racist- israel-vs- durban-conferenc e/


A Little Red Light, By URI AVNERY
Perhaps Avigdor Lieberman is only a passing episode in the annals of the State of Israel. Perhaps the fire he is trying to ignite will flicker briefly and go out by itself. Or perhaps the police investigations into the grave corruption affair of which he is suspected will lead to his removal from the public sphere.
http://www.counterp unch.com/ avnery04282009. html


Stars and Bucks Forever
Stars and Bucks in downtown Ramallah is a full service cafe that serves not only coffee but sandwiches, meals, appetizers, salads, deserts, managesh, smoothies, fruit juices, iced coffee and cocktails, none of which include alcohol, and of course, shisha.  Stars and Bucks in downtown Ramallah is a full service cafe that serves not only coffee but sandwiches, meals, appetizers, salads, deserts, managesh, smoothies, fruit juices, iced coffee and cocktails, none of which include alcohol, and of course, shisha.
http://www.palestin emonitor. org/spip/ spip.php? article925


Iraq
Iraqi politicians demand country's courts try US soldiers for killings during raid
Iraqi politicians on Monday demanded that Iraqi courts be allowed to try US soldiers who killed two people in a raid that the Baghdad government has called a crime. Premier Nuri al-Maliki Sunday denounced the raid as a violation of a security pact, the first crisis in an otherwise smooth implementation of a deal that set a deadline of the end of 2011 for a full US withdrawal.
http://www.dailysta r.com.lb/ article.asp? edition_id= 10&categ_id=2&article_id=101416


Iraq confirms Qaeda leader Baghdadi in custody (AFP)
AFP - Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki confirmed on Tuesday that Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, one of the top leaders of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, is being held by the Iraqi authorities.
http://news. yahoo.com/ s/afp/20090428/ wl_afp/iraqunres tqaedaarrestbagh dadi


Iraqi Christians urged not to flee after killings
BAGHDAD, April 27 (Reuters) - Christians in Kirkuk were urged to stand firm by the city's Chaldean archbishop on Monday after three members of the religious minority were gunned down in their homes.  Louis Sako told mourners at a cathedral in the ethnically mixed city that the attacks on Sunday killing three Christians and wounding two others were outrageous.
http://www.reliefwe b.int/rw/ rwb.nsf/db900SID /SODA-7RHPHS? OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P


Iraq mulls disbanding National Security Council (AFP)
AFP - The Iraqi government is considering dissolving the National Security Council, which a senior MP said had 20 times the maximum number of employees permitted under its charter.
http://news. yahoo.com/ s/afp/20090427/ wl_mideast_ afp/iraqpolitics security

Will Shi'ite Militias Seek Revenge in Iraq?
Time.com - Fresh bombing attacks against Shi'ites raise fears of murderous sectarian reprisals. But Iraq's most fearsome militia remains cool, for now.
http://news. yahoo.com/ s/time/20090427/ wl_time/08599189 400800

Trial begins in former soldier's murder trial
PADUCAH, Ky. — A federal prosecutor today told a jury that the government will prove that former soldier Steven Green raped a 14-year-old girl and then murdered her and her family "not in the fog of war, but in cold blood."  In an opening statement in a trial that is expected to last three to five weeks, Justice Department lawyer Brian Skaret said the government will present at least five witnesses who say Green bragged about the crimes, including one who says Green told his fellow soldiers that it was "awesome."
http://www.courier- journal.com/ article/20090427 /NEWS01/90428030 1/Trial+begins+ in+former+ soldier+s+ murder+trial


Iraqis Mark Saddam's Birthday With Anti-Bush Chants
BAGHDAD — Relatives and supporters of the late Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein are marking his birthday with tributes in his native village, laying wreaths by his grave and chanting slogans against former President George W. Bush.  Saddam would have turned 72 on Tuesday. He is buried in the Tigris River hamlet of Ouja, where he was born, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) north of Baghdad.
http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ 2009/04/28/ iraqis-mark- saddams-birth_ n_192176. html


Lebanon

Hezbollah, A Leading Contender In Lebanese Elections (VIDEO)

Lebanon is preparing for elections that could dramatically alter the leadership of the moderate country.  One of the expected big winners is Hezbollah, which commands a huge and growing influence in Lebanon.  Some call it a state within a state; a movement that is all too willing to fill any gaps it perceives left open by the government. Hezbollah, with its close ties to Iran, has become very influential -- and though the U.S. government considers them terrorists, they are heroes to their many followers.
http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ 2009/04/27/ hezbollah- a-leading- conte_n_191988. html


A new order emerges in Lebanon
Calls for engagement with Hezbollah in Lebanon are increasing in Washington, Britain is opening dialogue with non-state players and the Syrians are back in the international arena. Steadily, the Middle East leftovers of the George W Bush era are being eroded, and people like Lebanese warlord Walid Jumblatt are preparing for the new alignments.
http://www.atimes. com/atimes/ Middle_East/ KD29Ak02. html

Fadlallah says opposition will be unified in polls
Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah said that the opposition would carry on unified in the upcoming parliamentary elections, "despite media campaigns that distort the facts and use exaggeration to mislead the people." In an electoral rally in the southern city of Bint Jbeil on Monday, Fadlallah said.
http://www.dailysta r.com.lb/ article.asp? edition_id= 1&categ_id=2&article_id=101423

Baroud proposes amending law for 'Jewish Lebanese'
Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud proposed on Monday that the Cabinet amend the legislation that currently labels Lebanese Jews as "Israelis" to "Jewish Lebanese." A press release by Baroud's office said on Monday that the interior minister has submitted the proposal to be discussed by the Cabinet.
http://www.dailysta r.com.lb/ article.asp? edition_id= 1&categ_id=2&article_id=101428

U.S. and other world news
Obama's 100 days: Beyond Palestine... the 23-state solution

Of Barack Obama's two predecessors as a Democratic President, Jimmy Carter, by gripping the issue within months of taking office, achieved more on the Middle East in a single term than Bill Clinton did in two.
http://www.independ ent..co.uk/ news/world/ americas/ obamas-100- days-beyond- palestine- the-23state- solution- 1675200.html


Will Obama get entrapped by the Masada complex?
This column in the Washington Post seems to be the most convincing piece yet that Israel will attack Iran on its schedule unless Obama publicly says he has told Israel not to. Should Israel launch an attack on Iran, it will further the global delegitimation of the state of Israel, bea disaster for the region, and may also endanger Jewish institutions around the world that have publicly identified themselves with Israel without thinking seriously about the consequences. You know that new Israeli soldiers are taken to  Masada and told the story and this mindset permeates Israeli and much of post-Israel diaspora Jewish society. It's potentially self-fulfilling. Obama could stop the whole thing by talking tough to Netanyahu and saying that an attack on Iran is against America's interests and that the US will respond harshly both diplomatically and economically if Iran is attacked.
http://www.philipwe iss.org/mondowei ss/2009/04/ this-article- today-seems- to-be-the- most-convincing- piece-yet- that-israel- will-attack- iran--on- its-schedule- unless-obama- publi.html


No more make-believe in the Middle East
Netanyahu's policies may be misguided, but his intellectual honesty may prove salutary. The Israeli right and its American supporters have a hard time claiming Israeli moderation and reasonableness when Netanyahu and his ministers openly oppose a two-state arrangement; affirm the blockade of Gaza, preventing reconstruction there; tout settlement expansion; brag of undermining US efforts to talk with Iran; and threaten an attack on Iran – across US-controlled Iraqi airspace – that could jeopardize US troops and interests throughout the region.  In lifting the veil on Israeli policy and the criticism-stifling fiction of US-Israeli mutual interest, Netanyahu leaves the US open, finally, to voice and pursue its own positions and interests.
http://www.csmonito r.com/2009/ 0427/p09s02- coop.html


Why Are Record Numbers of U.S. Soldiers Committing Suicide?
The U.S. military is grappling with a record number of soldier suicides. At least 13 soldiers took their lives last month. That's down from the 24 military suicides in January and 18 in February, but still in line with the most number of suicides since record-keeping began. As many as 143 soldiers reportedly took their own lives last year. We speak with Emma Prophet, an investigator at the Oklahoma Medical Examiners Office.
http://www.democrac ynow.org/ 2009/4/28/ why_are_record_ numbers_of_ us


Jewish Professor Rejects Brandeis Honor To Protest Obama Invite

When will it stop?   Professor Solomon Goldfarb, an Orthodox Jew and Constitutional law expert, says he will not attend the Brandeis University graduation ceremony to protest President Obama's attendance. "I do not understand how a Jewish university can honor a President who is known to drive on the Sabbath and does not observe kosher."
http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ mj-rosenberg/ jewish-professor -rejects_ b_192174. html


With Shiites rising across the region, Saudi Arabia's grow impatient
Older leaders among the minority aim to peacefully address discrimination but warn that younger Shiites are pushing for militancy.
http://www.csmonito r.com/2009/ 0427/p06s04- wome.html


Google aims for bigger Arab audience
The Middle East lags behind in terms of internet usage, but the US company is providing products in Arabic in an attempt to lure more businesses and individuals online.
http://www.ft. com/cms/s/ 0/32053fac- 3342-11de- 8f1b-00144feabdc 0.html



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