Friday, October 6, 2006

Meanwhile in Palestine

New Israeli wall another barrier to peace: Out on Highway 60, just outside Jerusalem, the bulldozers are at work. Next to the road that leads south from Jerusalem to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the big yellow machines are scraping the earth, carving a flat, white, dusty shoulder. Along that strip, a high concrete wall is already being built, part of the newest segment of Israel's "separation fence." The planned route loops around the cluster of settlements known as the Etzion Bloc, putting them on the Israeli side of the de facto border.

Bil’in Defiant in Midday Sun: Not deterred by the intense midday heat and their empty stomachs, many villagers decided to continue the protest by marching down the slope along the wall and were immediately attacked by Israeli forces firing multiple rounds of tear gas. Around 20 protesters suffered from the effects of the gas and were forced to disperse into the olive groves where they watched as the IOF turned their attention to children in the olive groves on the opposite side of the road. Snipers took up positions and started firing rubber bullets at children in the groves who responded by throwing stones.

Commentary: Universal instincts - By Azmi Bishara: What are significant are the conditions. These the Palestinian Authority (PA) has to agree to in order to end the boycott, because by rejecting these conditions the elected government brought on the boycott to begin with." This is how people succumb to the logic and aims of the boycotters. It is how conditions stipulated by hostile external forces become the political agenda of a segment of internal forces. In the process, the freedom to choose and national unity are cast aside in exchange for the promise of bread for the masses. In turn, the masses become an instrument to topple the government and elect one the West approves of.

Gaza shootings kill Fatah activist: Muhamed Suleiman Atiyya was killed after evening prayers on Thursday in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. The AFP news agency reported that shortly afterwards a Hamas member of the interior ministry security force was injured when two hand grenades were thrown outside a Rafah hospital. Earlier, a Hamas member had been shot and wounded in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza strip.

Palestinian PM urges Abbas to resume unity talks: Haniyeh is embroiled in an increasingly bitter power struggle with Abbas, fueled by their failure to agree a unity coalition that Palestinians hope will lift Western sanctions. "I urge the leadership of Fatah and Hamas to hold an urgent meeting, tonight, in my presence, to put an end to the internal strife. (But) we will not recognize Israel," Haniyeh said.

Israel is creating Mogadishu next to its Silicon Valley: Following the peace accords, scores of other Palestinian-Americans moved to the West Bank and Gaza. Professors came to teach at universities. Doctors came to help modernize the healthcare system and treat patients. Artists came to exhibit and perform. Other business professionals came to invest, modernize the economy and create jobs. Each, in their way, wanted to help build an independent Palestine. Each served as the real ambassadors of America, so different from the American-made Apache helicopters and F-16 fighter jets Israel uses to rain destruction on the Palestinian economy, cities and villages. But Israel has decided that we Americans are not welcome.

A time for peace?: In the summer of 2001, says Woodward, Bandar brought a blunt message to Bush, the sharpest ever delivered by him to an American president. The crown prince, Bandar told the astonished president, is planning to cut off all ties with you. We will not consider any U.S. interests and will act as we see fit. Why? Because of then prime minister Ariel Sharon and his war against the Palestinians. It is clear to us, the Saudi ambassador told the president, that the U.S. has made a "strategic decision" that means "adopting Sharon's policy." Bush protested. That's not true, he said to the ambassador. Two days later, Bush sent the crown prince a two-page letter in which he declared, for the first time, his support for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Former U.S. President urges restoring aid to Palestinians: "The attempt to coerce Hamas leaders by starving the Palestinian people has failed, and it is time for the international community to alleviate their suffering and resort to diplomacy," Carter said in a statement. The former president added that he is doubtful that Palestinian leaders will make any progress toward reconciliation with Israel "as long as the Palestinians are subjected to this kind of debasement and personal suffering."

Israeli settlers take over Hebron mosque under armed protection of Israeli soldiers: Official Palestinian sources in the town told PNN on Thursday that the Israeli settlers carried machine guns and other weapons while overtaking the mosque for a half hour of Jewish prayer. Israeli soldiers occupying the area guarded the northern Hebron's mosque on behalf of the settlers.

Troops invade Balata refugee camp in Nablus: The Palestine News Network (PNN) reported that at least eight army vehicles and a military bulldozer, invaded the cap through Rojeeb street. The bulldozer destroyed doors and front walls of several shops in the area and fired rounds of live ammunition at street lights, especially in Al Hashasheen neighborhood.

Several residents injured while attempting to reach the Al Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayers: Palestinian sources reported on Friday that Israeli soldiers and policemen barred hundreds of Palestinians from reaching the Al Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayers, marking the second Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, several residents, including children, were injured.

Sukkot: Full closure on Gaza, West Bank: A general closure was imposed Friday on Palestinian territories and will remain in affect until the end of Sukkot; police have raised their alert level ahead of the holiday. The closure, which went into effect during the early morning hours and will be lifted in 24 hours.

Haniyeh promises right of return: Haniyeh sharply condemned the international community's economic blockade on the Palestinians. “The American regime is leading this seige to make us surrender and to politically exhaust us, but we are telling you – they won't wring us out and our fortress won't fall.

Senior Hamas official: Shalit deal to be finalized within 2 weeks: Yousef denied reports of Syrian involvement in the prisoner exchange negotiation process. "This is a matter within the Gaza Strip, and all of the sources handling the negotiations are there as well," he said.

Israeli DM promises to transfer tax revenues to Palestinians if captured soldier returns: "The key to releasing funds to the Palestinian (National) Authority is tied to the issue of returning Gilad Shalit home and to other issues that are part of our conditions, such as the halt of Qassams (rockets) and violence against communities in the Gaza area," Peretz said.

Muslim leader gets interfaith award in U.S. despite Jewish protests: Speaking at a Jerusalem Day rally, Hathout said: "We did not come here to condemn the condemned atrocities committed by the apartheid brutal state of Israel because butchers do what butchers do and because what is expected from a racist apartheid is what is happening now."

Carlos Santana coming to Israel: Guitarist Carlos Santana is scheduled to give a concert in Jerusalem in the spring of 2007 in the framework of project “Bridges of Music,” which was launched by Roy Scott in 1988 to advance peace between Jews and Muslims. The event will be sponsored by the Jerusalem Fund and the Foreign Ministry.
(Will people living behind the WALL have access to that "Peace" concert? )


Despite, not because: What can be done? The Israeli instinct has always been to spill all the old cliches over such scenes, from "there is no one to talk with" to jets of racist scorn for "the Arabs." We are having a hard time with them? They are also having a hard time with us. When at the beginning of the week, 12 Palestinians were killed in Fatah-Hamas battles, this of course made front page headlines in Israel. But the hundreds whom Israel has killed just in the darkened and hungry Gaza Strip over the past few months have already become stale non-news. The riots in the territories are a big asset for all haters of any agreement with those rioting gangs.

Siege within: While Western media reports tend to focus on the political scuffling between the Hamas government and Fatah, the once dominant party of President Mahmoud Abbas, the humanitarian crisis is duly ignored. If not for the sensitive and perceptive reporting of a few individual journalists such as Amira Hass of the Israeli daily Haaretz and Donald Macintyre of the British Independent, the untold suffering of the Palestinian people would have gone completely unnoticed.

Gaza Clashes - The Struggle for Palestine's Soul: If Peretz and others are to be believed, the gunmen could have done themselves and the 1.4 million people of Gaza a favour and simply executed Shalit weeks ago. Israel doubtless would have inflicted terrible retribution, such as the bombing of the Strip's only power station -- except, of course, it had already done that to avenge Shalit's capture. But, with the Israeli soldier dead, there would have been no obstacle to sitting down and talking.

Palestinian Affairs: Blazing battles: Mahmoud Abbas, his aides complained this week, is perhaps the only person in the Palestinian Authority who still thinks that Hamas can be transformed into a party that is willing to accept the Oslo Accords, renounce violence and implement all agreements that were signed between the PLO and Israel. "He really believes that Hamas will change, and that it will finally recognize Israel,"

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