Meanwhile in Palestine

Final note - On the occasion of the third anniversary of the death of Edward Said: When Edward Said passed away three years ago, on 25 September, 2003, one of his close friends and a Palestinian compatriot of his, Leila Mikadadi Qattan, remarked: "The world will not be the same without Edward Said." All of us, those who knew him closely or from far, who heard or read him, realise the loss that his departure signified, as if our frontline of defence had collapsed. A compelling speaker, not only on Palestine but on all issues related to the rights of the oppressed and the downtrodden, Said would shun simplistic idiom and demagogic rhetoric in favour of a humanistic discourse.

Unwritten history - By Rashid Khalidi: with rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah unable to agree on the fundamental basis for a new coalition government, and with the devastating effects of the Israeli and international boycott provoked by Hamas's victory in last January's elections, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip appears to be tottering. Whether it survives or not, the prospect of the independent state that the Palestinians have never had, and that many expected to emerge from this Authority, seems as distant as ever.

Palestinian PM calls on rival forces to stop violence: "I appeal to all citizens to be responsible and to abandon their differences, especially in the time we are facing an escalation by the occupation forces, who threaten to enlarge their scale of aggression," Haniyeh told reporters in Gaza.

7 Palestinians dead, 75 hurt in Hamas-Fatah clashes in Gaza: Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, of Hamas, spoke with Abbas by telephone late Sunday evening and called for joint action to end the violence between their respective parties, as well as the need to return to national unity government talks, Haniyeh's office said in a statement.

Palestine: Fatah rebels attack parliament building: The Fatah militants threw stones at the Cabinet building, before breaking in and ransacking it. Some of the militants light an office on the second floor on fire, and soon the entire floor was engulfed in flames. The militants threw files out the windows and witnesses could see pieces of furniture being thrown about.

Gaza fighting between Hamas and Fatah kills seven people: "This is forbidden in Islam, we are in the holy month of Ramadan," said Majed Badawi, 33, who managed to escape uninjured after his car was caught in the crossfire. "It's a shame on Hamas, who call themselves real Muslims, and a shame of Fatah as well. Why are they fighting and over what? We are victims because of both of them."

Palestinian Territories on brink of volcano: Deputy Premier: "The Palestinian cause will pay the price if the situation remained in this way," al-Sha'er warned, adding that if civil war erupted, "we won't be able to retreat."

Rice to propose 'creative means' to bolster Abbas, weaken Hamas: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will discuss steps for strengthening Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on her visit to Israel this week. According to an Israeli diplomatic source, the U.S. administration wants to shore up Abbas' position and weaken Hamas by "creative" means, one of which would be the moving of funds to the PA through Abbas.

Independent Lawmaker warns of large-scale Israeli operation in Gaza: "The Israeli threat to invade Gaza Strip proves plotted intentions by the occupation to disrupt Palestinian efforts to form a national unity government," said Mustafa al-Barghouti, a well-known lawmaker representing the National Initiative party.

Doors of re-entry shut to Palestinians: Seven months after Swedish citizen Somaida Abbas was refused entry through Ben-Gurion International Airport, the insult can still be heard in every sentence spoken by this successful economic adviser describing his efforts to return to his wife and three children in Ramallah. Finally, they came to him in Amman. Abbas was born in 1959 in Jerusalem, where he lived and studied until about 20 years ago. Because he went to study and work abroad, Israel revoked his residency rights.

Israeli forces arrest a young Hebron resident while another is brutally attacked by Israeli settlers: Palestinian residents of the Tel Rumeida neighborhood are all-too-familiar with violence from nearby Israeli settlers. Resident Hana Abu Haikal told PNN that Israeli settlers have repeatedly vandalized her water pipes, leaving several homes in the neighborhood without water for weeks at a time. She added, “The Israeli forces do not even attempt to prevent such attacks.”

Middle-school principal yanks play dubbed too mature for students: But instead of performing the politically charged play My Name is Rachel Corrie on Friday night, the students were told to recite their choice of monologues. School officials called off the play, saying the subject -- about a young American activist who died in 2003 under the wheels of an Israeli bulldozer as she fought for Palestinian rights -- was too mature for middle school-age children.

Shabbat party in Tel Rumeida: Three settler boys around age 13 began behaving physically threatening towards a Palestinian girl of the same age as she was trying to enter her home on Shuhada Street, just across from Beit Hadassah. Human rights workers (HRWs) on Shuhada Street moved to accompany her to her house and the settler boys started throwing rocks at them.

Israeli army forces storm northern Gaza Strip: The tanks moved amid machine gunfire from air cover, but there were no reports on casualties among the Palestinians who live in makeshift houses near the border. The residents reported that tanks took up positions on hills inthe area while bulldozers began working on the ground.

Israel shuts down for observance of Yom Kippur holy day: On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, Jews across the world fast and pray for forgiveness for the sins they may have committed over the previous year. In Israel, the country effectively shuts down for the holy day, which lasts from sundown Sunday until Monday evening.

Halutz: IDF mulling stepped up Gaza action to halt rocket fire: Asked what more the army could do, Halutz replied: "For example a more continued and deeper ground action ... we are holding consultations about this."

Kuwait''s Ramadan meals distributed in Jordan, Palestine: The Ramadan fast-breaking meals project in Jordan and the Palestinian territories, sponsored by Kuwait's International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) and Kuwaiti, Qatari, and Bahraini philanthropists, was launched on Sunday.

The ethnic cleansing of Palestine: In this controversial new book, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Ilan Pappe uses recently declassified archival sources to investigate the fate suffered by the indigenous population of 1940s Palestine at the hands of the Zionist political and military leadership, whose actions led to the mass deportation of over a million Palestinians from their cities and villages, over 400 villages wiped from the map, and hundreds of civilians dead.

The case for unity - By Mustafa Barghouti: There is unquestionably broad popular support for a national unity government. In addition to addressing the Palestinian factions issue, it is regarded as a mechanism for establishing the rule of law, safeguarding democracy, checking the breakdown in domestic security and warding off the spectre of civil war.

Is Israel a partner?: Twenty-one years later, Jordan signed a peace agreement with Israel: The enemy of 1967 and covert ally of 1973 became an overt friend. When official Israel claims to have no partners with which to establish peace, the development of the relationship with King Hussein should be placed in the public eye. The "no partner" status is reversible, and Israel can have a significant influence on its expiration date. Egypt's President Anwar Sadat was not considered a partner in '73, and earned the status of very desired guest in '77.