This is an important story, which confirms suspicions expressed earlier by several commenters about the distinct possibility of a false flag operation carried out by Israel in or around the Sinai to frame Hamas and to produce a crackdown by Egypt on the Palestinians in Gaza.
I would be grateful if someone could translate it and post it in the comment section. I am recovering from a cold, and have been up since 3:00 a.m.
"علمت «البيان» من مصادر مطلعة أن السلطات المصرية تبحث عن مجموعة مكونة من خمسة أفراد من أصول عربية وفلسطينية يعتقد أنها تابعة للمخابرات الإسرائيلية تخطط للقيام بأعمال إرهابية في سيناء وأنها ربما تستهدف بعض الأجانب ومقرات للقوات الدولية لخلق جو من التوتر يجبر مصر على اتخاذ قرارات من شأنها المضي قدماً في خطة لعزل غزة. وحسب المصادر نفسها فإن إسرائيل ستقوم بشن حملة في بعض وسائل الإعلام للتحذير من مخاطر إرهابية في سيناء في الفترة القادمة.
وقالت مصادر دبلوماسية أوروبية وصحافية ان السفارات الإسرائيلية في لندن وباريس وواشنطن لديها تعليمات بالبدء في تسريب بعض المعلومات التي تفيد بأن تنظيم القاعدة وبعض الجماعات الفلسطينية تعد للقيام ببعض الأعمال الإرهابية في سيناء وأن تل أبيب طلبت من بعض دبلوماسييها في الغرب تسريب بعض المعلومات من اجل شن حملة ضد مصر.
وطالبت الخارجية البريطانية رعاياها بتوخي الحذر أثناء التحرك في سيناء ومصر بشكل عام في الفترة القادمة لكنها لم تنشر أي تحذيرات من وقوع إيه إعمال إرهابية واكتفت بتجديد التحذير بشكل يومي كما تقوم دون الإشارة لأيه تحذيرات وهو إجراء روتيني فقط تقوم به الخارجية البريطانية بشكل يومي.
وقال بيان للخارجية البريطانية انها تطالب رعاياها في مصر وتحديداً في شبة جزيرة سيناء بتوخي الحذر حيث ما زال الخطر قائماً من القيام بأعمال إرهابية تستهدف الأجانب، فيما أعلن في لندن عن مظاهرة كبيرة أمام مجلس الوزراء البريطاني للتنديد بحصار غزة.
وألمح مصدر مصري مطلع انه القي القبض على شخص معه بعض المعدات التي لا تتوافر إلا لأجهزة الاستخبارات الكبرى ومن بينها جهات إسرائيلية وان أجهزة الأمن المصرية تبحث عن مجموعة مكونة من خمسة أو ستة أفراد تلقت أوامر بالإشارة من داخل إسرائيل للقيام ببعض الأعمال الخاصة وان أشخاصاً كانوا يتحدثون بالعربية بها لكنها غير مصرية فهم منها أن الهدف منها تنفيذ بعض الأعمال الهجومية ضد مصالح غربية وان رسومات ستصلهم بشكل أو بآخر.
لكن المصدر رفض الكشف عن فحوى الرسالة وهو ما جعل عناصر من جهاز المخابرات المصري وامن الدولة تنتشر في سيناء بأعداد مكثفة للبحث عن المجموعة التي لم يعرف مكانها لكنها كانت وسط جموع من الغزاويين المتحركة والاتصال من إسرائيل وهو ما دعا قوات الأمن المصرية إلى وقف عمليات العبور لفترة.
أضاف المصدر أن جهات سيادية مصرية تتحرك بشكل كبير لمعرفة الدوافع وسط مخاوف مصرية متصاعدة وتزداد تأكيداً بمرور الوقت من تورط أجهزة المخابرات الإسرائيلية في تقديم مساعدات لهذه المجموعات وان ذلك ربما يحدث خلافاً مصرياً كبيراً في حالة التأكد من هذه الأعمال وان مصر ربما تتقدم بشكوى ضد إسرائيل لواشنطن وتقوم على إثرها بنشر مزيد من القوات بالتعاون مع القوات الدولية التي أعلنت حالة الطوارئ.
ونفى مصدر أمني مصري رفيع للبيان ان يكون 400 من القوات الدولية العاملة في معسكر الجورة بالقرب من الحدود مع رفح قد أعادت انتشارها أو أنها بصدد الانسحاب من المعسكر بزعم وجود محاولات من حماس لتفيد أعمال إرهابية في المنطقة تستهدف القوات الدولية كما نشرت وسائل الإعلام الإسرائيلية.
وقال المصدر الأمني المتواجد بالقرب من معسكر الجورة والقوات الدولية للبيان انه لا يستطيع تأكيد القبض على أي شخص في الوقت الحالي ضمن مجموعة تخطط للقيام بأعمال إرهابية لكنه شدد على أن القوات المصرية فرضت نوعاَ من الطوق الأمني على المنطقة بأسرها بحث لا يستطيع أي فرد المرور من المنطقة التي تبعد عن العريش أو الاقتراب من معسكر الجورة بالقرب من رفح تخوفاً من حدوث بعض الأعمال وانه لا صحة لرحيل أو إعادة انتشار 400 جندي أميركي ضمن القوات الدولية كما زعمت بعض التقارير الإسرائيلية.
وأضاف المسؤول ل«البيان» أن هناك مخاوف تتصاعد من قيام بعض العناصر بمساعدة جهات أخرى بالترتيب لأعمال تهدد الأمن في سيناء وان الاتجاه العام يستبعد تماماً قيام أي فرد تابع لحماس أو للفصائل الفلسطينية في قطاع غزة بالتخطيط لهذا الأمر، مؤكداً أن هناك جهات أخرى ربما تكون مستفيدة بشكل أكبر. "
Saturday, January 26, 2008
THE LAST OF THE ISRAELI ARABS
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DesertPeace
(Ben Heine cartoon)
"“I am an Israeli Arab”…. those words were said to me about ten years ago by my very dearest and closest friend. My response was…. “If that’s the case then I am a Jewish Palestinian”. My statement seemed to make as much sense (or not) as his did…. but things have changed.
Today one does not hear the term ‘Israeli Arab’ as often as one did ten years ago…. today there is a stronger identification with the Palestinian people and with Palestine itself.
One might ask why that is… there are many reasons. Firstly is the second class status that the Israeli Arab has endured while maintaining Israeli citizenship. He has been treated no differently than Palestinians living in the occupied areas. His villages suffered during Israel’s war with Lebanon last year but compensation for damaged property or lost wages have not yet come to light.Also keep in mind that ‘Arab Israeli’ villages and neighbourhoods are in many cases walled in or surrounded by electrified fences. This is to let the locals know that they are not viewed any differently from the Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank....."
The Incredible Shrinking Davos Man
By Tony Karon
"Last week’s annual Davos meeting of the World Economic Forum was conspicuous by how little it seemed to matter to anyone — the event passed with hardly a nod from the mainstream media, which had more important things to worry about. But as I wrote on TIME.com, it wasn’t simply that Davos was eclipsed in the news cycle by global stock market wobbles and by Hamas in Gaza wiping the floor with its dunderheaded adversaries (dutifully gathered at Davos, in the persons of Condi Rice, Tony Blair, the Israeli government and the leaders of Fatah). On fronts as different as financial markets and the geopolitics of the Middle East, it has become plain that the political and economic elites of the West have seen a sharp decline in their ability to dictate events......"
A Financial Times Editorial: Gaza’s misery has to be stopped
"The tens of thousands of Palestinians who burst out of Gaza into Egypt this week in search of food, fuel and medicine have temporarily broken the siege that had tightened like a noose around this teeming territory ever since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip last June.
Like the lid coming off a pressure cooker, the blown-up border fence has avoided a bigger explosion – for now. But Gaza’s humanitarian disaster and conflict shows every sign it could escalate into war if it is not brought under control....
This siege is not only wrong; it is almost wholly counterproductive.
First, Israel’s tactic of “collective punishment” is illegal. Targeting a civilian population is prohibited by international law: there is no debate to be had about it.
Second, however, two decades of using this tactic, in the occupied ter- ritories and in Lebanon, should have taught Israel that it does not work. It actually strengthens organisations such as Hamas and Hizbollah.
Indeed, this siege is visibly increasing Gazans’ dependence on Hamas as the only source of the means of subsistence.
It is time that Israel, its Arab neighbours such as Jordan and Egypt, the US and the Fatah nationalists they are all backing against Hamas rethought their position.
Their attempt to isolate and topple Hamas after its 2006 election victory – which included arming Fatah warlords in Gaza – has failed......."
Like the lid coming off a pressure cooker, the blown-up border fence has avoided a bigger explosion – for now. But Gaza’s humanitarian disaster and conflict shows every sign it could escalate into war if it is not brought under control....
This siege is not only wrong; it is almost wholly counterproductive.
First, Israel’s tactic of “collective punishment” is illegal. Targeting a civilian population is prohibited by international law: there is no debate to be had about it.
Second, however, two decades of using this tactic, in the occupied ter- ritories and in Lebanon, should have taught Israel that it does not work. It actually strengthens organisations such as Hamas and Hizbollah.
Indeed, this siege is visibly increasing Gazans’ dependence on Hamas as the only source of the means of subsistence.
It is time that Israel, its Arab neighbours such as Jordan and Egypt, the US and the Fatah nationalists they are all backing against Hamas rethought their position.
Their attempt to isolate and topple Hamas after its 2006 election victory – which included arming Fatah warlords in Gaza – has failed......."
The Latest From Rafah Today, January 26.
"A Taste of Freedom
“I finally taste freedom now–at least a temporary freedom of movement,” a 32 year old Gazan man rejoiced, the Gaza-Egypt border newly opened. Thousands climbed over Israel’s downed Wall, a Wall which encompasses and contains the Gaza Strip. The hungry, assaulted, and ignored crowds clamoured into Egypt to stock up on daily goods, basic foods, and medical supplies.
In Rafah, crucial shipments of daily living necessities including even packages of cement, spare auto and vital machine parts and fuel, flowed from Egypt into Gaza across a border rendered wide-open since Wednesday. Early Wednesday, militants blew down portions of the concrete and steel wall, allowing hundreds of thousands of Gazans, many caged-in for nearly 18 months, to stream into Egypt for shopping and a luxurious whiff of freedom.
Egyptian border security guards initially simply stood by as huge crowds surged into Egypt, but on Wednesday, they attempted to ease the chaos of traffic, directing the countless pedestrians, donkey carts and bicycles.
24 Hours Awake!
Rafah has been awake 24 hours a day lately, a new phenomenon: usually by sunset people are home, hoping to avoid being targeted by Israeli attacks. In a border town such as Rafah, in southern Gaza, security is risky, to say the least, after sundown. Yet now, masses –hundreds of thousands!!—of people choose to go shopping even in the middle of the night. If not shopping, then people meander to “breathe fresh air,” as one young man replied, en route home with cheese and milk......
As I write now, Gaza rejoices, enjoying a moment of fresh air, a brief, and unusual, respite, from the near-daily Israeli attacks resulting in Gaza civilian bloodshed. But despite the joy from the open border and the vital goods which can be bought in Egypt, tragedy remains in Gaza: late Thursday night and early Friday morning, Israeli warplanes killed four more Palestinians in the on-going assault on Gaza which has seen 68 killed and over 165 wounded in just the first weeks of January alone. Gaza, as the world, watches with apprehension to see how Israel will react to the act of basic human desperation and frustration which led to breaking down the Wall last Wednesday."
Habash, Prophet of Arab Nationalism and Armed Struggle Against Israel Dies
(1925-2008)
Contributed by Uprooted Palestinian
Palestinian Pundit in the News: France 24
Thanks to blog reader for noticing this item and supplying the link. Thanks to all who contribute links and comments and to all of our visitors.
(Click on "Gazans flee to Egypt" after clicking on the link)
WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Italians Awaken to Palestinian Pain
"ROME, Jan 25 (IPS) - Several Italian civil society groups will mark the World Social Forum's global day of action Saturday by pledging support for Palestinians.
"This decentralised World Social Forum (WSF) offers to Palestinian democratic movements the chance of asking Europe to intervene and stop what Nelson Mandela has defined 'the new apartheid of our century'," said Mustafa Barghouthi, a pro-democracy activist who was candidate for presidency of the Palestinian National Authority in 2005. He spoke from Ramallah during a WSF press conference in Rome Tuesday.
The Palestinian international campaign to end the Israeli siege on Gaza has proclaimed Jan. 26 the international day of action against the Gaza siege. In support, pacifist groups from Israel and occupied Palestine, and their supporters all over the world, will organise solidarity initiatives for people of Gaza....."
"This decentralised World Social Forum (WSF) offers to Palestinian democratic movements the chance of asking Europe to intervene and stop what Nelson Mandela has defined 'the new apartheid of our century'," said Mustafa Barghouthi, a pro-democracy activist who was candidate for presidency of the Palestinian National Authority in 2005. He spoke from Ramallah during a WSF press conference in Rome Tuesday.
The Palestinian international campaign to end the Israeli siege on Gaza has proclaimed Jan. 26 the international day of action against the Gaza siege. In support, pacifist groups from Israel and occupied Palestine, and their supporters all over the world, will organise solidarity initiatives for people of Gaza....."
Ending The Stranglehold on Gaza
by Eyad al-Sarraj and Sara Roy
(Eyad al-Sarraj is founder of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program. Sara Roy is senior research scholar at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University)
The Boston Globe
"An Israeli convoy of goods and peace activists will go today to Erez, Israel’s border with Gaza, and many Palestinians will be on the other side waiting. They will not see one another, but Palestinians will know there are Jews who condemn the siege inflicted on the tiny territory by Israel’s military establishment and want to see an end to the 40-year-old occupation.
Israel’s minister of justice, Haim Ramon, had pushed for cutting off Gaza’s “infrastructural oxygen” - water, electricity, and fuel - as a response to the firing of Qassam rockets into Israel. Last Sunday, Ramon’s wish came true: Israel’s blockade forced Gaza’s only power plant to shut down, plunging 800,000 people into darkness. Food and humanitarian aid were also denied entry. Although international pressure forced Israel to let in some supplies two days later, and the situation further eased when Palestinians breached the border wall with Egypt, the worst may be yet to come.
The Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, agrees with Ramon’s strategy, saying that it is “inconceivable that life in Gaza continues to be normal.” The rapid and deepening desperation of Gaza’s sick and hungry is of no moral concern to her. For Livni, like Ramon, the siege is a tactical measure, a human experiment to stop the rockets and bring down a duly elected government.....
Gaza is no longer approaching economic collapse. It has collapsed. Given the intensity of repression Gaza is facing, can the collapse of its society - family, neighborhood, and community structure - be far behind? If that happens, we shall all suffer the consequences for generations to come."
Nahida Izzat - Two poems for the beloved people of Gaza
"Beloved people of Gaza
Treasured people of Palestine
Teachers of courage and dignity
Archetype of humanity
Allow me to kneel down
And wash your feet with my tears
Kiss your blessed hands
And sprinkle your beautiful faces with musk and roses
While we sat pondering like fools
Utterly helpless
Talking much and doing less
Going round and round in circles
Thinking how to help
What to offer you to relieve some of your pain
As usual
Full of surprises, you come out to our rescue, to soothe our agony
You present us with the most precious gifts
Lessons in bravery
Steadfastness, patience, perseverance, defiance, resilience
Optimism against all odds
Creativity in the face of utter oblivion
You’ve demonstrated that you are the free ones … we are the captives
You chose resistance over subjugation
You decided not to be enslaved
Not even to superpowers
Would we ever learn from you?
I Believe in Miracles
You can break my bones
My free spirit is invincible
You can cause me the loss of sight
The light of my insight
You’ll never take away
In the shadows of darkness
Lies the corpse of your might
You can destroy my house
The windows of my hope,
You cannot break
The pillars of my faith
You can never shake
You can threaten me
With weapons of death
And mass destruction
Implanting fear in my heart
You cannot achieve
Nor can you cut off
My divine connection
With a missile
You can tear my body apart
My soul however
Is out of your reach
And is forever intact
You claimed victory in six days!
Victorious are those
With a dignified gaze
Facing tanks with tender flesh
And only with stones,
The F16 fighter blaze
You can never defeat my will to be
Because my power that you cannot explain
Grows from within the roots of my pain
You depend on the United States
For wealth and war supply
My infinite strength stems from
My creator, the One most high"
Left-wing activists protest Gaza blockade at Erez border crossing
Dozens of buses carrying a thousand leftists arrive at Erez crossing to bring food, humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza Strip and to protest blockade on enclave. MKs from Balad and Hadash, youth from Sderot take part
Contributed by Lucia in Spain
"More than a thousand left-wing activists made their way to the Erez border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel on Saturday in order to bring food and medical equipment to the costal enclave.
The activists held a demonstration against the Israeli-imposed blockade on the Strip. Palestinians on the opposite side of the crossing also organized a rally of their own.
Twenty-five buses and around 100 cars arrived at Erez from all over Israel. The activists collected three tons of food and medical supplies during the demonstration. The items will be brought to the Kerem Shalom crossing where, according to the protesters, they will be transferred to Palestinians in Gaza on Monday.....
"The Israeli government holds the responsibility for the humanitarian disaster in Gaza," Zahalka said during the protest. According to the MK, Israel is employing "fascist methods" by preventing food and fuel from reaching the area. "We'll continue to protest and reveal the war crimes (being carried out) against one and a half million Palestinians in the Strip," he said.....
Left-wing activist Uri Avnery made a speech during the rally in which he said: "Three days ago, a wall fell here, like the Berlin Wall fell, like the separation wall and all walls and fences will fall. But the inhumane closure that has been imposed on one and a half million Gaza residents by our government and by our army in our name – this closure will continue with all its cruelty. "As Israelis who came here with basic supplies, in our desire to tell the Israeli public and the whole world: We won't be part of this crime. We're ashamed of this siege," Avnery said....."
Guardian Video: Egypt gets tough at border
Contributed by Lucia in Spain
Do you see "critically injured" Egyptian troops? The scale of the lies of the Pharaoh's spokesman is incredible!
Do you see "critically injured" Egyptian troops? The scale of the lies of the Pharaoh's spokesman is incredible!
Egypt takes new tack to send Palestinians back to Gaza
Contributed by Lucia in Spain
"....Baton-wielding riot police made another attempt this morning to stop Palestinians from streaming across the breached Rafah border and into Egypt, but security forces remained outnumbered and many families simply walked to other, unmanned passages outside the police cordon.
Reluctant to use force against fellow Muslims and doubtful about a speedy political solution, the Egyptian government this morning turned to a new tactic for shooing home the Palestinians. Security forces have ordered shopkeepers and hotel clerks to stop serving customers from Gaza, according to several business owners in Rafah.
"The shops are all shut," said Mahmoud Hanafi, 25, who works in his father's clothing store, which also was forced to close today. "The instructions were that no one opens until people leave. Many (Palestinians) have left."....."
"....Baton-wielding riot police made another attempt this morning to stop Palestinians from streaming across the breached Rafah border and into Egypt, but security forces remained outnumbered and many families simply walked to other, unmanned passages outside the police cordon.
Reluctant to use force against fellow Muslims and doubtful about a speedy political solution, the Egyptian government this morning turned to a new tactic for shooing home the Palestinians. Security forces have ordered shopkeepers and hotel clerks to stop serving customers from Gaza, according to several business owners in Rafah.
"The shops are all shut," said Mahmoud Hanafi, 25, who works in his father's clothing store, which also was forced to close today. "The instructions were that no one opens until people leave. Many (Palestinians) have left."....."
Hamas offers Egypt talks on restoring Gaza border
Contributed by Lucia in Spain
"GAZA, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Hamas offered on Saturday to restore the Gaza Strip's ruptured border with Egypt through direct diplomacy with Cairo, challenging a plan by rival Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to assume control. Egypt is under pressure to seal the border that fell on Wednesday as needy Palestinians surged across, but is reluctant to be seen as shoring up a 7-month-old blockade imposed on Gaza to cripple its Hamas rulers while Abbas seeks peace with Israel. "We are offering an alternative, which is the operation of Rafah crossing, and we are ready to coordinate this with the Egyptian government," senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told reporters, referring to a key terminal at a frontier town.
"The situation at the Rafah border is temporary and exceptional."
A Hamas source said free movement across Rafah "is expected to last as long as it takes for an understanding to be reached between Hamas and the Egyptian government over the reoperation".....
While Abbas and his government have stepped up public calls for the blockade to be lifted, U.N., European and other Western officials say Hamas's opponents within Abbas's Fatah have been behind-the-scenes backers of keeping the crossings closed....."
"GAZA, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Hamas offered on Saturday to restore the Gaza Strip's ruptured border with Egypt through direct diplomacy with Cairo, challenging a plan by rival Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to assume control. Egypt is under pressure to seal the border that fell on Wednesday as needy Palestinians surged across, but is reluctant to be seen as shoring up a 7-month-old blockade imposed on Gaza to cripple its Hamas rulers while Abbas seeks peace with Israel. "We are offering an alternative, which is the operation of Rafah crossing, and we are ready to coordinate this with the Egyptian government," senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told reporters, referring to a key terminal at a frontier town.
"The situation at the Rafah border is temporary and exceptional."
A Hamas source said free movement across Rafah "is expected to last as long as it takes for an understanding to be reached between Hamas and the Egyptian government over the reoperation".....
While Abbas and his government have stepped up public calls for the blockade to be lifted, U.N., European and other Western officials say Hamas's opponents within Abbas's Fatah have been behind-the-scenes backers of keeping the crossings closed....."
Egypt Closes Borders with Gaza, Hamas Bulldozes New Opening
From almasry-alyoum
"Small clashes erupted yesterday between Egyptian security forces and Palestinian citizens after the Egyptian forces closed the borders with the Gaza Strip as thousands of people tried to flee to Egypt for the third day running.
While soldiers used batons and water canons and shot some bullets in the air, some angry Palestinians threw stones before Hamas police intervened to stop them.
The authorities had gradually started to close the border. At first, they had warned the Palestinians through loudspeakers, then closed the city of Arish to prevent the Palestinians from getting in, and finally closed all Rafah gates......"
Hamas keeps open Rafah crossing
Al-Jazeera
"Thousands of Palestinians are continuing to cross in and out of Egypt after Hamas defied Egyptian attempts to reseal the border with Gaza and used bulldozers to smash through the barrier.
Thousands of Gazans on Saturday continued to stock up on supplies four days after the barrier was blown open to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, said that while Israel had attempted to push Gazans into rising up against Hamas as a result of its blockade, the opposite had happened.
She said: "Hamas can claim credit now for breaking the embargo."
"Many believed their credibilty would crumble in the face of so much pressure, but the border opening and the fact that Gazans can break out of this prison, is now seen to be the work of the Hamas leadership."
She said: "Apart from the immediate humanitarian concerns, there is a major economic benefit to be gained from Egyptian traders, who are selling goods to the Gazans."
"There is a lot of things coming from Cairo, to Gaza, and this is also helping the Egyptian economy."
Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has called the situation in Gaza "unacceptable" and called on Israel to "lift its siege" and "solve the problem"......"
"Thousands of Palestinians are continuing to cross in and out of Egypt after Hamas defied Egyptian attempts to reseal the border with Gaza and used bulldozers to smash through the barrier.
Thousands of Gazans on Saturday continued to stock up on supplies four days after the barrier was blown open to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, said that while Israel had attempted to push Gazans into rising up against Hamas as a result of its blockade, the opposite had happened.
She said: "Hamas can claim credit now for breaking the embargo."
"Many believed their credibilty would crumble in the face of so much pressure, but the border opening and the fact that Gazans can break out of this prison, is now seen to be the work of the Hamas leadership."
She said: "Apart from the immediate humanitarian concerns, there is a major economic benefit to be gained from Egyptian traders, who are selling goods to the Gazans."
"There is a lot of things coming from Cairo, to Gaza, and this is also helping the Egyptian economy."
Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has called the situation in Gaza "unacceptable" and called on Israel to "lift its siege" and "solve the problem"......"
The Pharaoh's Lie Machine Goes Into High Gear
"At least 36 Egyptian security personnel have been hospitalized, including some in critical condition, as a result of violent incidents with Palestinians on the Gaza border, the Egyptian foreign minister said Saturday.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told reporters following a meeting with the Egyptian president and several cabinet ministers, that between 10 and 12 riot police and 26 border guards, including two senior officers, were all in the hospital, some in danger of losing their lives, due to "actions by Palestinian elements" over the past two days......"
***
These are blatant lies. Thanks to live reporting, the whole world saw the brutality of the Pharaoh's troops. They attacked ordinary, starving Palestinians trying to get some bread, for God's sake! We all saw the troops using tear gas, water cannon, attack police dogs, pushing and shoving, hitting with batons and even throwing rocks at the Palestinians. A news photographer on the Palestinian side was hit by those rocks and he was shown bleeding in one of the videos. All these can be clearly seen in the photos and videos posted here in the past couple of days.
What is at work here is a misinformation propaganda campaign, probably engineered by USrael, to reduce the support for the Palestinians among the Egyptian public. It is divide-and-conquer all over again. Arab regimes have been shaken badly by the siege and starvation in Gaza and the subsequent massive breakout. The only weapons they have are money and lies.
At times like these, critical, live and accurate news coverage and commentaries are crucial. This is an important test for Al-Jazeera which has been doing a very good job. It remains to be seen if Saudi and American pressure will change that. No one listens to the Egyptian government press organs; everyone knows that they lie all the time.
Equally important is for Hamas to keep up and expand its coverage. Up-to-date photos, videos, audios and news should be posted promptly around the clock. Translation services should be expanded, if possible. It is absolutely critical to get the true picture out, in both Arabic and English, as soon as possible. Fresh news is of the essence.
An unstable marriage
Defeat in Iraq? The paradox of Baghdad is that a fundamentally anti-western government is umbilically linked to US occupation
By Jonathan Steele
The Guardian
"George Bush has done his critics a new favour. Just when the Iraq issue was in danger of receding from the increasingly frenetic US primary campaign, his effort to formalise a long-term occupation of Iraq has re-ignited the issue and re-emboldened the Democrats.
The much-trumpeted success of the "surge" and General David Petraeus's skilful arguments with Congress had temporarily put the Democrats on the back foot.
Now Bush has fired them up again and Iraq is back on the political agenda. His plan for a new security agreement with the government in Baghdad which would authorise US combat operations for the indefinite future not only reinforces the image of the Iraq government as colonial dependents. It would tie the hands of Bush's successor in the White House.....
The paradox of Baghdad is that a sectarian Shia-dominated and fundamentally anti-western government is umbilically linked to a US occupation because its members now feel so identified with the Bush project that their lives would be at severe risk if and when the Americans leave. Never was a political marriage less stable, or more cynical.
Meanwhile, on the ground, the ultimate defeat for Bush and those who went to war alongside him is that polls show a majority of Iraqis want his troops to leave."
The ominous lesson of Tet
The Vietnamese death toll after America's defeat 40 years ago is a terrifying pointer for the Iraq retreat
Mike Marqusee
Saturday January 26, 2008
The Guardian
".....Tet caused fear and trembling in the corridors of power, but in the wider world the spectacle of the greatest power on earth defeated by an army of poor people inspired millions. The student revolts for which 1968 is famous took off in the wake of Tet, first in Germany and Italy, spreading subsequently to the US, France, Mexico and Pakistan.
However, the US war in Vietnam was to continue in its destructive fury for another four years. US policy did change after Tet - towards "Vietnamisation", in which reliance on air power increased. US casualties fell, from 16,000 killed in 1968 to 600 in 1972. On the other side the toll rose. Perhaps half the 5 million killed in the war, according to Vietnam government figures, perished during these post-Tet years.
Here is the ominous lesson for Iraq. There are few things as dangerous as an imperial power in retreat. Yes, the war is discredited and the major presidential candidates promise to reduce US troop numbers. None, however, seems prepared to abandon the mission in Iraq, which is also propped up by an array of corporate interests. As Vietnam showed, the alternative to a prompt and complete withdrawal is not a happy compromise, but prolonged devastation."
British MP: Bush supports Israeli murder of Palestinians
"DOHA, (PIC)-- Former British secretary MP Clare Short has described American president George Bush as a "war criminal" who should stand trial before an international court.
The MP told Qatari Daily 'Al-Arab' that Bush was responsible for what is happening in Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Iraq.
She noted that as soon as Bush ended his visit to the Palestinian lands the IOF troops started their land, sea and air shelling of the Gaza Strip inflicting tens of casualties in lines of the Palestinians.
She predicted that Israel would continue in its escalation against the Palestinian people in the Strip and in the West Bank.
The MP criticized the American administration for remaining tightlipped in face of Israel's "mass punishment" against the Palestinians especially the closure of all crossings surrounding the Strip and cutting power and fuel supplies."
Haneyya: We will continue to work hard to end the siege on Gaza people
"GAZA, (PIC)-- The PA caretaker government headed by premier Ismail Haneyya has said that it will continue to work hard to end the siege on Gaza, to alleviate the suffering of the people and to recover the inalienable national rights, calling on the Arab and Islamic peoples to continue their popular uprising until the siege is broken.
This came after the Palestinian government held an emergency meeting that started Thursday afternoon and ended at dawn Friday, during which the cabinet discussed the current developments following the popular removal of some parts of the Egyptian-Palestinian border walls and the pouring of thousands of citizens into Egyptian lands.
In a statement received by the PIC, the government asserted that if the PA leadership refused the invitation suggested by premier Ismail Haneyya to hold a meeting between all parties concerned in the government, the PA and the Egyptian leadership, the government would not stand passive until the siege devastates everything in Gaza, but would continue to work to end the siege and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people using all means available.
The government opined that the suffering and hardship experienced by the Palestinian people are the result of the arbitrary agreements signed by the PA entourage which also led to the Israeli military escalation.
The Palestinian government expressed its appreciation of the urgent human assistance provided by the Egyptian people to their brothers in Gaza, calling on the Arab peoples to provide their support as quickly as possible to the besieged Palestinian people in the Strip.
In related context, premier Ismail Haneyya met in his office Friday afternoon with an Egyptian delegation including MPs and notables who came to the Gaza Strip to express their support for the Palestinian people in their battle for freedom.
The premier appreciated the positions of Egypt in support of the Palestinian people, adding that the Palestinian people would not accept less than ending the siege on the Gaza Strip and would not accept partial solutions."
Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll
The question is:
Who do you prefer to run the border crossings in Gaza?
With over 200 responding so far (it is early), here is the breakdown:
The Ramallah PA.......................9%
The Haniyyah Government..........79%
International Administration.......12%
***
What is remarkable, and is a resounding slap in the faces of Abbas and Fayyad, is that the Ramallah thugs are consistently coming in the last place (with only 9.5% preference), even behind an international administration (with 10.5%). What legitimacy do these stooges have? The Dayton legitimacy?
These are the preferences with over 4,000 votes cast. The Haniyyah government is preferred by a whopping 80%.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Israel’s Jewish Fundamentalism
The Israeli state criminal law makes no distinction between a Jew and a gentile, but the distinction is made by the Orthodox Rabbis officers who follow the Halakhah teaching and give religious advice to the soldiers before, during and after military operations.
By Hasan Afif El-Hasan, PhD
Special to PalestineChronicle.com
"......Israel Shahak turned human rights activist when he witnessed an event where a religious Jew did not allow his phone to be used on the Sabbath to call an ambulance for an Arab who suffered a heart attack in his Jerusalem neighborhood. Feeling offended as a Jew and a citizen of Israel and a human being, Shahak asked members of the Rabbinical Court of Jerusalem, whose members are nominated by the State of Israel, about whether the behavior of the religious Jew was legitimate according to the Jewish religion laws. He was troubled by the Court’s answer especially because it was backed by a passage from the Talmudic laws.
The Court ruled that “the Jew in question had behaved correctly, indeed piously” when he did not try to save the life of a gentile. Shahak concluded that Israel as a Jewish state constitutes a danger to all Jews everywhere and to all other peoples in the Middle East, especially since the power of its Jewish character is on the rise and the fact that it is a nuclear state. A constitutional law was passed in 1985 by large majority of the Knesset that no party which opposes the principle of a Jewish state or proposes to change it by democratic means, is allowed to participate in Knesset elections. The “Jewish state” means Israel belongs only to people considered by the Israeli establishments as “Jewish” regardless of where they live, and the status of its non-Jews citizens must be inferior. Israeli policies toward the Palestinians and the Arab neighbors have been guided by Jewish ideological considerations. According to Shahak, Ariel Sharon proposed in the Likud 1993 Convention that “Israel should adopt the Biblical borders concept as its official policy”......
Israel’s Jewish Fundamentalism ideology that preaches the “Redemption of the Land of Israel” and the disregard to the human rights and even the lives of the non-Jews is behind the pursuit of territorial expansion, the settlements activities, the so many laws and regulations that discriminate against the Israeli Arabs, the massacres of Arab civilians and POW’s and the inhumane treatment of the helpless Palestinians in the occupied land. "
By Hasan Afif El-Hasan, PhD
Special to PalestineChronicle.com
"......Israel Shahak turned human rights activist when he witnessed an event where a religious Jew did not allow his phone to be used on the Sabbath to call an ambulance for an Arab who suffered a heart attack in his Jerusalem neighborhood. Feeling offended as a Jew and a citizen of Israel and a human being, Shahak asked members of the Rabbinical Court of Jerusalem, whose members are nominated by the State of Israel, about whether the behavior of the religious Jew was legitimate according to the Jewish religion laws. He was troubled by the Court’s answer especially because it was backed by a passage from the Talmudic laws.
The Court ruled that “the Jew in question had behaved correctly, indeed piously” when he did not try to save the life of a gentile. Shahak concluded that Israel as a Jewish state constitutes a danger to all Jews everywhere and to all other peoples in the Middle East, especially since the power of its Jewish character is on the rise and the fact that it is a nuclear state. A constitutional law was passed in 1985 by large majority of the Knesset that no party which opposes the principle of a Jewish state or proposes to change it by democratic means, is allowed to participate in Knesset elections. The “Jewish state” means Israel belongs only to people considered by the Israeli establishments as “Jewish” regardless of where they live, and the status of its non-Jews citizens must be inferior. Israeli policies toward the Palestinians and the Arab neighbors have been guided by Jewish ideological considerations. According to Shahak, Ariel Sharon proposed in the Likud 1993 Convention that “Israel should adopt the Biblical borders concept as its official policy”......
Israel’s Jewish Fundamentalism ideology that preaches the “Redemption of the Land of Israel” and the disregard to the human rights and even the lives of the non-Jews is behind the pursuit of territorial expansion, the settlements activities, the so many laws and regulations that discriminate against the Israeli Arabs, the massacres of Arab civilians and POW’s and the inhumane treatment of the helpless Palestinians in the occupied land. "
Breakout from Ghetto Gaza
A Thoughtful Piece
By Israel Shamir
Contributed by Lucia in Spain (who never sleeps)
"They went out, risked their lives, rushed the army, overturned the fence, strode the barbed wire, wiped out the border between two states, committed so many heroic acts, worthy of great warriors, suffering casualties -- and when they were through, they went to shop and bought bread for their children. This gave a lie to the image of Palestinians that the Jews had tried to plant in world conscience: that of wild violent fanatics bent on rampage. Instead, the guys broke out of jail and bought bread. Meaning, they were kept hungry by their Jewish overlords. A stronger picture will not come soon from the Middle East than that of these family men carrying bread back home.
They are so normal, these Gaza, like you and me – they carry out their normal lives, they work in a bank or a garage -- but they get full medieval treatment. First, they were dispossessed and corralled into Gaza, then they were treated like even dogs should not be treated; they were not allowed to travel by a highway if the road is used by a Jew, they were not permitted to see their immediate family living only a mile away. And then, this siege. No food, nothing to feed the children with. No future, either, with Israel as the neighbour. They suffer for only one crime: they are not Jews, though, ironically, many of them are descendent of Jews, some with famous Jewish family names, who embraced Christ or the Prophet.
They were supposed to suffer quietly, but the Gazans have a lot of dignity. They voted for Hamas against the will of Israel and America, and they expelled the collaborationist gang of Dahlan. Now, they have rushed the fence, and that was a good example for all of us: nothing can be done within the legal limits our enemies had enforced. There is a need for the push that is called Revolution......"
The Palestinian national conference concludes by stressing Palestinian rights
"DAMASCUS, (PIC)-- The Palestinian national conference which was held in Damascus concluded by stressing the Palestinian rights, especially the right of return and called for unity of Palestinian people everywhere.
The conference further stressed that "resisting occupation by all available means is a legitimate right," expressing its rejection of the Oslo team's policy and action against the resistance.
The theme of three day conference, which started on Wednesday and attended by 1200 delegates representing resistance factions, refugees, civil societies, Palestinian communities in the diaspora and a number of Arab and Islamic delegations, was: "National unity is the way to liberation and return".
In the final statement of the conference, it was stressed that the conference was held at a sensitive juncture for the Palestinian cause in an attempt to rectify the Palestinian political course and get back to the spirit of united action to take responsible decisions with regard to essential issues such as National dialogue, protection of the national unity, rebuilding the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), protecting the resistance and stressing Palestinian national rights.
The conference stressed that:
• Palestine from the sea to the river and from Rafah to Ras-Annaqura is a right for Palestinians and is part of the Arab and Islamic world.
• The Palestinian people, wherever they are, are one people and they are part of the wider Arab and Islamic society.
• Palestinian people have the right to self determination as a people in a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
• The return of refugees to lands and homes from which they were uprooted is a natural and a legal right.
• Resistance against occupation is a legitimate right guaranteed by international laws and conventions.
• Political pluralism, the democratic process and free popular choice is the framework for conducting Palestinian politics and running Palestinian institutions.
• Dialogue is the only way to solve internal differences.
It was also stressed in the statement that the Palestinian people's choice of resistance as reflected in the 2006 elections should be respected......"
The conference further stressed that "resisting occupation by all available means is a legitimate right," expressing its rejection of the Oslo team's policy and action against the resistance.
The theme of three day conference, which started on Wednesday and attended by 1200 delegates representing resistance factions, refugees, civil societies, Palestinian communities in the diaspora and a number of Arab and Islamic delegations, was: "National unity is the way to liberation and return".
In the final statement of the conference, it was stressed that the conference was held at a sensitive juncture for the Palestinian cause in an attempt to rectify the Palestinian political course and get back to the spirit of united action to take responsible decisions with regard to essential issues such as National dialogue, protection of the national unity, rebuilding the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), protecting the resistance and stressing Palestinian national rights.
The conference stressed that:
• Palestine from the sea to the river and from Rafah to Ras-Annaqura is a right for Palestinians and is part of the Arab and Islamic world.
• The Palestinian people, wherever they are, are one people and they are part of the wider Arab and Islamic society.
• Palestinian people have the right to self determination as a people in a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
• The return of refugees to lands and homes from which they were uprooted is a natural and a legal right.
• Resistance against occupation is a legitimate right guaranteed by international laws and conventions.
• Political pluralism, the democratic process and free popular choice is the framework for conducting Palestinian politics and running Palestinian institutions.
• Dialogue is the only way to solve internal differences.
It was also stressed in the statement that the Palestinian people's choice of resistance as reflected in the 2006 elections should be respected......"
Worse than a War Crime
When one puts a million and a half people in a pressure cooker and keeps turning up the heat, it will explode. That is what happened at the Gaza-Egypt border.
By Uri Avnery
PalestineChronicle.com
"It looked like the fall of the Berlin wall. And not only did it look like it. For a moment, the Rafah crossing was the Brandenburg Gate.
It is impossible not to feel exhilaration when masses of oppressed and hungry people break down the wall that is shutting them in, their eyes radiant, embracing everybody they meet - to feel so even when it is your own government that erected the wall in the first place.
The Gaza Strip is the largest prison on earth. The breaking of the Rafah wall was an act of liberation. It proves that an inhuman policy is always a stupid policy: no power can stand up against a mass of people that has crossed the border of despair.
That is the lesson of Gaza, January, 2008.....
Again and again, Aljazeera broadcast the pictures into millions of homes in the Arab world. TV stations all over the world showed them, too. From Casablanca to Amman angry mass protest broke out and frightened the authoritarian Arab regimes. Hosny Mubarak called Ehud Barak in panic....
The government scenario was a repeat of Lebanon War II (the report about which is due to be published in a few days). Then: Hizbullah captured two soldiers on the Israeli side of the border, now: Hamas fired on towns and villages on the Israeli side of the border. Then: the government decide in haste to start a war, now: the government decided in haste to impose a total blockade. Then: the government ordered the massive bombing of the civilian population in order to get them to pressure Hizbullah, now: the government decided to cause massive suffering of the civilian population in order to get them to pressure Hamas.
The results were the same in both cases: the Lebanese population did not rise up against Hizbullah, but on the contrary, people of all religious communities united behind the Shiite organization. Hassan Nasrallah became the hero of the entire Arab world. And now: the population unites behind Hamas and accuses Mahmoud Abbas of cooperation with the enemy. A mother who has no food for her children does not curse Ismail Haniyeh, she curses Olmert, Abbas and Mubarak......."
By Uri Avnery
PalestineChronicle.com
"It looked like the fall of the Berlin wall. And not only did it look like it. For a moment, the Rafah crossing was the Brandenburg Gate.
It is impossible not to feel exhilaration when masses of oppressed and hungry people break down the wall that is shutting them in, their eyes radiant, embracing everybody they meet - to feel so even when it is your own government that erected the wall in the first place.
The Gaza Strip is the largest prison on earth. The breaking of the Rafah wall was an act of liberation. It proves that an inhuman policy is always a stupid policy: no power can stand up against a mass of people that has crossed the border of despair.
That is the lesson of Gaza, January, 2008.....
Again and again, Aljazeera broadcast the pictures into millions of homes in the Arab world. TV stations all over the world showed them, too. From Casablanca to Amman angry mass protest broke out and frightened the authoritarian Arab regimes. Hosny Mubarak called Ehud Barak in panic....
The government scenario was a repeat of Lebanon War II (the report about which is due to be published in a few days). Then: Hizbullah captured two soldiers on the Israeli side of the border, now: Hamas fired on towns and villages on the Israeli side of the border. Then: the government decide in haste to start a war, now: the government decided in haste to impose a total blockade. Then: the government ordered the massive bombing of the civilian population in order to get them to pressure Hizbullah, now: the government decided to cause massive suffering of the civilian population in order to get them to pressure Hamas.
The results were the same in both cases: the Lebanese population did not rise up against Hizbullah, but on the contrary, people of all religious communities united behind the Shiite organization. Hassan Nasrallah became the hero of the entire Arab world. And now: the population unites behind Hamas and accuses Mahmoud Abbas of cooperation with the enemy. A mother who has no food for her children does not curse Ismail Haniyeh, she curses Olmert, Abbas and Mubarak......."
The siege of Gaza has failed
A Haaretz Editorial
"The situation that arose once the Egypt-Gaza border was flung wide open has apparently not yet penetrated Israeli consciousness....
As hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were streaming into Sinai by car and making a mockery of Israel's policy in Gaza, the prime minister gave a speech at the Herzliya Conference that sounded disconnected from reality...."
"The situation that arose once the Egypt-Gaza border was flung wide open has apparently not yet penetrated Israeli consciousness....
As hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were streaming into Sinai by car and making a mockery of Israel's policy in Gaza, the prime minister gave a speech at the Herzliya Conference that sounded disconnected from reality...."
Demonstrations around the world in support of Gaza
candlelight vigil in Barcelona against the Israeli imposed siege on Gaza
Contributed by Lucia in Spain
"OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- This week witnessed numerous demonstrations and protests held in support of the Gaza people against the tight siege imposed by Israel for the past eight months.
In the West Bank, which itself is suffering from siege and daily occupation atrocities as well as roadblocks which hamper the movement of Palestinians from one town to another, Palestinians demonstrated in various parts in support of their compatriots in Gaza. There were demonstrations in Jerusalem and major cities of the West Bank.
In Jordan there were demonstrations in Amman and other major cities as well as Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan.
In Egypt, students demonstrated in Cairo in support of the people in Gaza and called for and end to the siege.
In Qatar there was a demonstration after the Friday prayers which called for an end to the 8-month-long siege.
In Bahrain there were demonstrations and sit-ins on Friday after the Friday prayers and earlier in the week.
The protests went beyond the Arab world to the Muslim world where tens of thousands demonstrated in the Iranian capital Tehran in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza. The demonstrators condemned the silence of the international community which only pays lip-service to the values of democracy and human rights.
In Indonesia the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) on Thursday called for massive demonstrations all over the country to show support for the Palestinian people despite the difficulties that the Indonesian people are going through as a result of natural disasters.
The committee for popular action within the PKS condemned in a statement the Israeli siege on Gaza and called on Arab and Muslim government to work for ending the oppressive siege.
In Europe, more than a hundred non-governmental organisations issued a joint appeal for an end of the oppressive siege on the Gaza Strip.
The organisations condemned the siege in the strongest terms and pointed to the inhumanity and immorality of the siege which contravenes international humanitarian law and international conventions on human rights.
In addition many European capitals and cities witnessed demonstrations and sit-ins against the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip."
Gaza-Egypt border chaos forces world to rethink strategy toward Hamas
Contributed by Lucia in Spain
"JERICHO, West Bank: The chaotic scenes on the Gaza-Egypt border are forcing Israel, Egypt and the international community to rethink a two-year policy of trying to weaken Gaza's Hamas rulers by keeping the territory sealed.
Any easing of the Gaza closure could well stabilize Hamas' militant government in the coastal strip, something the West would be loath to see. It's also unlikely all those with conflicting interests in Gaza, including Israel, Hamas and pro-Western Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, could agree on a solution.
Yet, a more relaxed Gaza border regime could entice Hamas to halt rocket fire, and this in turn could buy Abbas and Israel the necessary calm to make progress in U.S.-backed peace deal.
The current border crisis developed at breathtaking speed, typical of Gaza's volatility.
(…) Egypt gradually restored control after four days, but a similar effort Friday was met by Hamas resistance.
Hamas militants driving bulldozers tore down more border fortifications, sending a brazen message to Egypt that Hamas expects to negotiate a new border deal. Egyptian forces pulled out and Hamas hardliner Sami Abu Zuhri confidently declared the border would have to remain open.
(…) Abbas, meanwhile, is pushing a plan to have his forces take over the Palestinian side of the Gaza crossings. Details are sketchy, except that Abbas' men would serve as buffers on the border.
(…) With such an arrangement, Abbas could regain a foothold in Gaza, after his troops were routed by Hamas in June. However, the Palestinian president has not explained how his men could operate in Hamas-run territory, let alone run border traffic effectively.
Abbas' plan would also amount to tacit recognition of Hamas rule in Gaza, something he has adamantly refused to do since the takeover."
"JERICHO, West Bank: The chaotic scenes on the Gaza-Egypt border are forcing Israel, Egypt and the international community to rethink a two-year policy of trying to weaken Gaza's Hamas rulers by keeping the territory sealed.
Any easing of the Gaza closure could well stabilize Hamas' militant government in the coastal strip, something the West would be loath to see. It's also unlikely all those with conflicting interests in Gaza, including Israel, Hamas and pro-Western Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, could agree on a solution.
Yet, a more relaxed Gaza border regime could entice Hamas to halt rocket fire, and this in turn could buy Abbas and Israel the necessary calm to make progress in U.S.-backed peace deal.
The current border crisis developed at breathtaking speed, typical of Gaza's volatility.
(…) Egypt gradually restored control after four days, but a similar effort Friday was met by Hamas resistance.
Hamas militants driving bulldozers tore down more border fortifications, sending a brazen message to Egypt that Hamas expects to negotiate a new border deal. Egyptian forces pulled out and Hamas hardliner Sami Abu Zuhri confidently declared the border would have to remain open.
(…) Abbas, meanwhile, is pushing a plan to have his forces take over the Palestinian side of the Gaza crossings. Details are sketchy, except that Abbas' men would serve as buffers on the border.
(…) With such an arrangement, Abbas could regain a foothold in Gaza, after his troops were routed by Hamas in June. However, the Palestinian president has not explained how his men could operate in Hamas-run territory, let alone run border traffic effectively.
Abbas' plan would also amount to tacit recognition of Hamas rule in Gaza, something he has adamantly refused to do since the takeover."
Egyptian troops unable to push back Palestinians
Rory McCarthy in Rafah
Friday January 25, 2008
Guardian Unlimited
"Egyptian soldiers in riot gear using water cannon and rolls of barbed wire were unable to stop hundreds of Palestinians from rushing into Egypt today after a bulldozer tore down another section of the border fence.
Although Egyptian forces closed some gaps in the wall, several thousand people were able to cross in both directions. At least one crane was set up on the seven-mile border at Rafah to bring in goods more quickly, particularly bags of cement and barrels of fuel, which are still scarce in Gaza.....
Hamas, the Islamist movement that won elections two years ago and seized full control of Gaza last summer, has won considerable public support for demolishing the wall before dawn on Wednesday. Yesterday Hamas officials said they wanted a crossing at Rafah to remain open. For much of the past two years, the official Rafah crossing has been closed.
"We insist and urge our Egyptian brothers that there must be a mechanism to allow the passage of people and goods through the Rafah crossing in a legal and organised manner," said Taher al-Nunu, a Hamas spokesman....."
Friday January 25, 2008
Guardian Unlimited
"Egyptian soldiers in riot gear using water cannon and rolls of barbed wire were unable to stop hundreds of Palestinians from rushing into Egypt today after a bulldozer tore down another section of the border fence.
Although Egyptian forces closed some gaps in the wall, several thousand people were able to cross in both directions. At least one crane was set up on the seven-mile border at Rafah to bring in goods more quickly, particularly bags of cement and barrels of fuel, which are still scarce in Gaza.....
Hamas, the Islamist movement that won elections two years ago and seized full control of Gaza last summer, has won considerable public support for demolishing the wall before dawn on Wednesday. Yesterday Hamas officials said they wanted a crossing at Rafah to remain open. For much of the past two years, the official Rafah crossing has been closed.
"We insist and urge our Egyptian brothers that there must be a mechanism to allow the passage of people and goods through the Rafah crossing in a legal and organised manner," said Taher al-Nunu, a Hamas spokesman....."
Mubarak under pressure
Gaza's crisis is dangerously close to home for the Egyptian government
By Ian Black
The Guardian, Friday January 25, 2008
"It has been an uncomfortable few days for President Husni Mubarak, watching anxiously as the crisis in Gaza spilled over onto his territory, focusing intense and unwelcome attention - both at home and abroad - on Egypt's role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Scenes depicting tens of thousands of people streaming across the breached border fence at Rafah, driven by desperation with the tightening Israeli blockade, graphically underlined the danger of instability and violence exploding from Gaza's pressure cooker into Egypt proper......
So Palestinian suffering in Gaza strikes a powerful chord with Egyptian public opinion and fuels opposition to an unpopular regime which is blamed for not doing enough to alleviate it, as well as anger with Israel and the US. (It is no accident that George Bush's recent brief meeting with Mubarak was at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh far from the teeming streets of Cairo...)....
"We should be ashamed of ourselves for failing to reach out to our Palestinian brethren," shouted one Nasserist MP who demanded the government expel Israel's ambassador. "Why do we have to worry about our relations with Israel more than the lives of innocent Palestinian men and women who are being killed by the Israelis?"
In Egypt, as elsewhere, all politics is ultimately local, and one serious problem for Mubarak is the link between the Brotherhood and Hamas.....
Khaled Mishal, the influential Hamas leader in Damascus, has reportedly been on the phone to Mahdi Akef, the Brotherhood leader, to coordinate protests and maintain pressure. Both know this episode has been good for Hamas, bad for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and Fatah leader who is committed to talks with Israel, as well as for Mubarak - and that it plays well with the Arab "street."....
Mubarak may yet hark back to the years from 1967 to 2005 when the Israel military was in control of the strip, not the Islamists he fears. It's all a bitter reminder, in Egypt, across the Middle East and beyond, that Palestine remains the issue that no-one can afford to ignore - and that simply shutting off Gaza will solve nothing."
The True Miracle of Israel
The "miracles" often associated with Israel are not random; they are assertions. Miracles are a religious notion, referring to the unexplained and supernatural. Thus they become exempt from rational questioning.
By Ramzy Baroud
Special to PalestineChronicle.com
".....As the 60th anniversary of the so- called birth of Israel draws near, a most impressive -- albeit grotesque -- misrepresentation of that history will be offered in abundance. Media pundits and politicians will celebrate the miracle, omitting how Israel was delivered on top of the ruins of hundreds of Palestinian towns and villages. The killing and ethnic cleansing that became known as the Palestinian Catastrophe -- or Nakba -- was not the work of invisible and miraculous seraphs, but rather well trained and well-armed Zionist gangs and their supporters.
Nor did Palestinians lose the battle due to their laxity or backwardness. Their bravery, for those who care to consult serious historical works (such as those of Israeli historian Ilan Pappe or late Palestinian Professor Edward Said), is a badge of honour that will be carried by Palestinians for years to come. They lost because, as parallel historic experiences demonstrate, neither bravery nor fortitude are enough to withstand so many powerful forces at play, all plotting for their downfall......."
By Ramzy Baroud
Special to PalestineChronicle.com
".....As the 60th anniversary of the so- called birth of Israel draws near, a most impressive -- albeit grotesque -- misrepresentation of that history will be offered in abundance. Media pundits and politicians will celebrate the miracle, omitting how Israel was delivered on top of the ruins of hundreds of Palestinian towns and villages. The killing and ethnic cleansing that became known as the Palestinian Catastrophe -- or Nakba -- was not the work of invisible and miraculous seraphs, but rather well trained and well-armed Zionist gangs and their supporters.
Nor did Palestinians lose the battle due to their laxity or backwardness. Their bravery, for those who care to consult serious historical works (such as those of Israeli historian Ilan Pappe or late Palestinian Professor Edward Said), is a badge of honour that will be carried by Palestinians for years to come. They lost because, as parallel historic experiences demonstrate, neither bravery nor fortitude are enough to withstand so many powerful forces at play, all plotting for their downfall......."
Israeli Repression in Hebron
A Case History of Separation, Forced Displacement and Terror
By STEPHEN LENDMAN
CounterPunch
Contributed by Lucia in Spain
Swedish human rights worker viciously attacked by Jewish extremists in Hebron
"....Conclusions
B'Tselem-ACRI also understand the problem. Their report calls Israel's "constant and grave harm to Palestinians (in Hebron's City Center) one of the most extreme manifestations of human rights violations" it commits. By protecting settlers through a "principle of separation" policy, its actions are racist and illegal as are severe movement restrictions, oppressive curfews, security force and settler violent assaults, arbitrary searches and seizures, quartering troops in homes, mass population transfers, and unwarranted detentions and delays to collectively punish and harass.
In Hebron City Center, expulsion alone is unique in magnitude since the West Bank was occupied in 1967. Israeli policy there shows a profound disregard for Palestinian rights and a flagrant violation of international and Israeli laws. In deference to its settlers, Palestinians suffer, it's intolerable, and at times it takes lives.
B'Tselem and ACRI insist this must end, and Palestinian rights must be protected and respected. All Israeli settlements are illegal in the Territories. International law demands they be evacuated and regarding the situation in Hebron City Center alone, B'Tselem and ACRI state "Israel has the legal and moral obligation to evacuate the Israelis who settled (there), and return them to Israel." Until this happens, Israel is also obligated to ensure Palestinian safety so they can live normally with their civil and human rights respected and protected......"
By STEPHEN LENDMAN
CounterPunch
Contributed by Lucia in Spain
Swedish human rights worker viciously attacked by Jewish extremists in Hebron
"....Conclusions
B'Tselem-ACRI also understand the problem. Their report calls Israel's "constant and grave harm to Palestinians (in Hebron's City Center) one of the most extreme manifestations of human rights violations" it commits. By protecting settlers through a "principle of separation" policy, its actions are racist and illegal as are severe movement restrictions, oppressive curfews, security force and settler violent assaults, arbitrary searches and seizures, quartering troops in homes, mass population transfers, and unwarranted detentions and delays to collectively punish and harass.
In Hebron City Center, expulsion alone is unique in magnitude since the West Bank was occupied in 1967. Israeli policy there shows a profound disregard for Palestinian rights and a flagrant violation of international and Israeli laws. In deference to its settlers, Palestinians suffer, it's intolerable, and at times it takes lives.
B'Tselem and ACRI insist this must end, and Palestinian rights must be protected and respected. All Israeli settlements are illegal in the Territories. International law demands they be evacuated and regarding the situation in Hebron City Center alone, B'Tselem and ACRI state "Israel has the legal and moral obligation to evacuate the Israelis who settled (there), and return them to Israel." Until this happens, Israel is also obligated to ensure Palestinian safety so they can live normally with their civil and human rights respected and protected......"
مسيرات غاضبة تجتاح الأردن تضامنا مع غزةAngry Protests Sweep Jordan in Solidarity With Gaza
"عمت المظاهرات كافة أرجاء المملكة الأردنية تعبيرا عن التضامن الشعبي الأردني مع فلسطينيي قطاع غزة حيث طالب الآلاف من الأردنيين الغاضبين الدول العربية بفك الحصار عن غزة.
وخرج الآلاف بدعوة من أحزاب المعارضة الأردنية والنقابات المهنية في مسيرة ضخمة وسط العاصمة الأردنية عمان، انطلقت من المسجد الحسيني الكبير، حيث انتقد المتظاهرون بشدة ما وصفوه بحصار إسرائيلي بمباركة أميركية وصمت رسمي عربي.
وأطلق المتظاهرون هتافات من قبيل "بالروح بالدم نفديك يا غزة"، كما دعوا فصائل المقاومة الفلسطينية لمواصلة قصفها البلدات الإسرائيلية، وانتقدوا بشدة قيادات السلطة الفلسطينية لاسيما الرئيس الفلسطيني محمود عباس والقيادي في حركة التحرير الوطني الفلسطيني(فتح) محمد دحلان، وأحرقوا الأعلام الإسرائيلية والأميركية.
وحمل بعض المتظاهرين على اكتافهم نعشا يمثل الجامعة العربية ومنظمة الأمم المتحدة
....."
Jordanians rally in support of Hamas in Gaza
"....About 8,000 activists from Jordan's mainstream Muslim Brotherhood took to the streets to support their ideological allies, the Palestinian Hamas group, and hail militants' success in breaching the Gaza border in defiance of an Israeli blockade.
"The people of Jordan are with Hamas," chanted the crowds.....
Passions prompted by the blockade have run high among Jordanians, many of whom are of Palestinian origin.
Defying tough government curbs on street demonstrations, thousands of mostly pro-Hamas loyalists have in the last few days taken to the streets inside many of the country's squalid camps and poor districts of the capital under the watchful eyes of the authorities to show solidarity with their brethren....
Officials concerned
Jordanian officials have been alarmed by Israel's military escalation in recent days and privately worry it would only weaken efforts to advance Arab-Israeli peace talks.
They fear it broadens the popularity of the Islamist movement among a majority of poor Jordanians, many of them living in refugee camps and disenchanted with the US-led Middle East peace process.
"Hamas is winning more supporters every day because it represents the conscience of the nation," Sheikh Hamza Mansour, a leading Islamist deputy said.
Many Jordanians whose families originally come from towns and cities in what is now Israel support Hamas.
The demonstrators lambasted Arab rulers, without naming them, accusing them of standing idly by as ordinary Gazans suffer and called on Egypt to allow freedom of movement for Palestinians.
"Oh rulers ... We want deeds not words ... Gaza is in darkness and you are asleep!," chanted the crowds....."
What is Mahmoud Abbas waiting for?
It appears clear to all but the Palestinian president that resistance, not supine collaboration, is the only strategic option
By Ghada Karmi
Al-Ahram Weekly
"With the appalling death toll in Gaza, relentless assaults on the West Bank (in which negotiations chief Ahmed Qurei's own bodyguard was killed), and Israel's blatant settlement expansion, one must wonder what Israeli atrocity, if any, would make the Palestinian president change course....
Clearly the strategy has failed. No amount of collaboration, passivity and obedience to the other side has worked. The Palestinian situation is far worse today than in 1993, and a different approach is needed. The Palestinians may be weak, but they have one major strength: the power to say "No". Imagine if they now refused to negotiate with Israel on current terms, dismantled the PA as the scapegoat and whipping boy for Israeli occupation it has become, and established a leadership of resistance that refused to cooperate while under occupation. Such a move would wreck the whole construct so carefully designed by Israel and its allies and whose pivot is Palestinian acquiescence. President Bush would have no trophy to save him from total ignominy; Israel would face a rebellious Palestinian population without leaders to do its dirty work; and Europe would have to confront its own ignoble complicity with the occupation by its funding of it. Above all, Palestinians would regain their self-respect and their right to resist, and their cause would once again unite the Arab world against its enemies. Fear of such an outcome, disastrous to Israel and its allies, is the Palestinian trump card, if they care to use it."
Wall comes tumbling down
The inspiring breakout of Palestinians from their imprisonment in Gaza is a timely reminder that this is a people who cannot be caged or wished away
By Seumas Milne
The Guardian
Contributed by Lucia in Spain
"Anyone with a sense of human solidarity must surely celebrate the demolition of the wall on the Gaza-Egyptian border on Wednesday and the mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians starved of basic supplies of food, fuel and medicine by Israel's flagrantly illegal act of collective punishment. There was a further breakout today, when a bulldozer pulled down a new section of the barrier.
It has been first and foremost a human triumph. An occupied and imprisoned people has taken its fate into its own hands and broken a shameful blockade, enforced jointly by Israel and Egypt with the support of the Bush administration and the connivance of the US and Israeli-backed rump Palestinian authority in Ramallah.
But it is also a political defeat for the cruelly-enforced attempt to isolate and crush the elected Hamas leadership in Gaza. By tearing down the walls that held 1.5 million people in the world's largest open air prison, Gazans have broken the siege that had become the main weapon to bring the Palestinians to heel and impose a pliant leadership and an occupier's settlement......
The same goes for the PA leadership. Waiting for Hamas to go away won't work. Only negotiations without preconditions for Palestinian political reconciliation can both restore national dignity and allow the Palestinians out of the dead end they have been forced into by relentless Israeli and US pressure. The magnificent display of popular power this week has shown that there are other ways ahead"
By Seumas Milne
The Guardian
Contributed by Lucia in Spain
"Anyone with a sense of human solidarity must surely celebrate the demolition of the wall on the Gaza-Egyptian border on Wednesday and the mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians starved of basic supplies of food, fuel and medicine by Israel's flagrantly illegal act of collective punishment. There was a further breakout today, when a bulldozer pulled down a new section of the barrier.
It has been first and foremost a human triumph. An occupied and imprisoned people has taken its fate into its own hands and broken a shameful blockade, enforced jointly by Israel and Egypt with the support of the Bush administration and the connivance of the US and Israeli-backed rump Palestinian authority in Ramallah.
But it is also a political defeat for the cruelly-enforced attempt to isolate and crush the elected Hamas leadership in Gaza. By tearing down the walls that held 1.5 million people in the world's largest open air prison, Gazans have broken the siege that had become the main weapon to bring the Palestinians to heel and impose a pliant leadership and an occupier's settlement......
The same goes for the PA leadership. Waiting for Hamas to go away won't work. Only negotiations without preconditions for Palestinian political reconciliation can both restore national dignity and allow the Palestinians out of the dead end they have been forced into by relentless Israeli and US pressure. The magnificent display of popular power this week has shown that there are other ways ahead"
Egyptian border guards scuffle with Palestinians attempting to cross from Gaza into Rafah, Egypt Friday, Jan. 25, 2008.
Backdropped by Egyptian border guards and riot police officers, Palestinians stopped from crossing the border after militants exploded the wall between Gaza Strip and Egypt earlier this week are seen, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 25, 2008. Egyptian border guards with riot shields formed human chains Friday, trying to hinder the flow of Gazans into Egypt in an apparent attempt to gradually reseal the breached border, but thousands of Palestinians managed to sneak through other openings.
(AP Photo)
Turkish demonstrators chant Islamic slogans during an anti-Israeli protest in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Jan. 25, 2008. Hundreds of Islamic demonstrators gathered outside of a mosque following the Friday prayers to protest Israel and to show their support to Palestinians.
(AP Photo)
Opposition party supporters shout slogans during a protest against Israeli economic sanctions and military attacks on Gaza Strip in Amman January 25, 2008.
REUTERS
(AFP)
Egyptian border guards prevent Palestinians from crossing from the southern Gaza Strip.
(AP)
Egyptian border guards and riot police officers clash with Palestinians trying to cross the border after militants exploded the wall between Gaza Strip and Egypt earlier this week, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 25, 2008.
A Christian Palestinian girl attends a special prayer supporting Gaza people in the Holy Family Latin Church in the West Bank city of Ramallah January 25,2008.
A man shouts as Egyptian riot police clash with Palestinians who are trying to cross into Egypt through the destroyed section of the border wall between the Gaza Strip and Egypt January 25, 2008
Palestinians make their way to Egypt after crossing the destroyed section of the border wall between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, January 25, 2008
Egyptian riot police sprays water cannons at Palestinians trying to cross into Egypt through the destroyed section of the border wall between the Gaza Strip and Egypt January 25, 2008.(Suhaib Salem/Reuters)
(Reuters)
The Egyptian Guard Dogs and Their Dogs Trying to Push Gazans Back Into The Concentration Camp!
Gaza: the Empire strikes back (and risks loosing Egypt in the process)
A Great Post by VS
"It was the be expected: the Pharaoh, who had been told by his masters that he was expected to "solve the problem" moved his stormtroopers in to attempt to close the border between Egypt and Gaza. Simultaneously, the Empire sensing that the situation might be getting out of control at the United Nations moved to prevent the adoption of a UNSC resolution on the blockade of Gaza. Lastly, Israel carried out to airstrikes close to the Rafah crossing and killed senior Hamas officials.
The USraelian Empire's response to the collapse of the Gaza Wall is now clear: put the burden of handling the political fallout from the clashes with the Palestinians on Mubarak and get the rest of the world to turn its attention away from the resulting violence. This was all very predictable. What will be interesting to observe will be Hamas' reaction to these developments.
So far, I have seen no reports of Hamas forces taking action to keep the border open or to protect the Palestinians from Mubarak's goons. Hamas needs to take a strategic decision to either a) get a secret understanding with Mubarak that the border will not really be shut down again, or b) to openly defy him and engage any force attempting to restore the status quo ante. But 'engaging' does not necessarily mean using armed force
The most effective tactic, a least for the time being, is probably get as many Gazans as possible to demonstrate and protest against Mubarak's betrayal. There should be a continuous presence of 100'000 Gazans ON the border 24/7.
The key here is to set up Mubarak politically *before* engaging his forces on the ground. Hamas will have to constantly keep in mind the following strategic factors:
1) Hamas simply cannot allow the border to be closed down again. Ever. It can allow a semblance of control and a "face-saving fig leaf" (-: Mubarak deserves no less :-) for the Pharaoh, but the blockade on Gaza should not be allowed to be reimposed.
2) Egypt is not the "Jewish state". Civil disobedience, non-violent protest and conventional rioting will have an impact upon Mubarak's ability to act. Hamas should only use guns in strict self-defense as the main 'weapon' in the hands of Hamas is a political one: the Arab public opinion.
3) Hamas should make full use of the fact that Mubarak is hated by the Egyptian street by coordinating actions of mass protest against Mubarak's collaborationist policies with the opposition forces throughout Egypt.
Ideally - Mubarak should be pushed in the exact same corner where the Shah of Iran was placed by the Iranian opposition: a political quicksand in which each movement of the regime brings it one step closer to death.
The boundless arrogance of the Empire whose leaders cannot even begin to imagine that a bunch of "bearded Islamists" could actually take control of Egypt (something truly apocalyptic for the Imperial policies in the Middle-East)
Conclusion: Ægypto Delenda Est (Egypt must fall)
From the Palestinian point of view Egypt is definitely the weak link the the Imperial chain shackling the Palestinians in general, and Gaza in particular. The latest developments have only made this fundamental truth more obvious. Consequently, the Palestinians need to use all their considerable political power in the Arab and Muslim world to push Mubarak to either follow Musharraf's example and become a de-facto buffer between the Empire and the Palestinians or the Shah's example and loose it all.
It is also crucial for Hamas never to forget, not for one second, that neither the USA nor Israel will ever be able to move in to protect Mubarak. All Mubarak has are his "security forces" and the corrupt cronies living off the billions his regime gets from the USA.
Egypt is a ripe (although "rotten" might be a better term) fruit, ready to be plucked by the Resistance forces and Gaza border might just be the place to make that happen."
"It was the be expected: the Pharaoh, who had been told by his masters that he was expected to "solve the problem" moved his stormtroopers in to attempt to close the border between Egypt and Gaza. Simultaneously, the Empire sensing that the situation might be getting out of control at the United Nations moved to prevent the adoption of a UNSC resolution on the blockade of Gaza. Lastly, Israel carried out to airstrikes close to the Rafah crossing and killed senior Hamas officials.
The USraelian Empire's response to the collapse of the Gaza Wall is now clear: put the burden of handling the political fallout from the clashes with the Palestinians on Mubarak and get the rest of the world to turn its attention away from the resulting violence. This was all very predictable. What will be interesting to observe will be Hamas' reaction to these developments.
So far, I have seen no reports of Hamas forces taking action to keep the border open or to protect the Palestinians from Mubarak's goons. Hamas needs to take a strategic decision to either a) get a secret understanding with Mubarak that the border will not really be shut down again, or b) to openly defy him and engage any force attempting to restore the status quo ante. But 'engaging' does not necessarily mean using armed force
The most effective tactic, a least for the time being, is probably get as many Gazans as possible to demonstrate and protest against Mubarak's betrayal. There should be a continuous presence of 100'000 Gazans ON the border 24/7.
The key here is to set up Mubarak politically *before* engaging his forces on the ground. Hamas will have to constantly keep in mind the following strategic factors:
1) Hamas simply cannot allow the border to be closed down again. Ever. It can allow a semblance of control and a "face-saving fig leaf" (-: Mubarak deserves no less :-) for the Pharaoh, but the blockade on Gaza should not be allowed to be reimposed.
2) Egypt is not the "Jewish state". Civil disobedience, non-violent protest and conventional rioting will have an impact upon Mubarak's ability to act. Hamas should only use guns in strict self-defense as the main 'weapon' in the hands of Hamas is a political one: the Arab public opinion.
3) Hamas should make full use of the fact that Mubarak is hated by the Egyptian street by coordinating actions of mass protest against Mubarak's collaborationist policies with the opposition forces throughout Egypt.
Ideally - Mubarak should be pushed in the exact same corner where the Shah of Iran was placed by the Iranian opposition: a political quicksand in which each movement of the regime brings it one step closer to death.
The boundless arrogance of the Empire whose leaders cannot even begin to imagine that a bunch of "bearded Islamists" could actually take control of Egypt (something truly apocalyptic for the Imperial policies in the Middle-East)
Conclusion: Ægypto Delenda Est (Egypt must fall)
From the Palestinian point of view Egypt is definitely the weak link the the Imperial chain shackling the Palestinians in general, and Gaza in particular. The latest developments have only made this fundamental truth more obvious. Consequently, the Palestinians need to use all their considerable political power in the Arab and Muslim world to push Mubarak to either follow Musharraf's example and become a de-facto buffer between the Empire and the Palestinians or the Shah's example and loose it all.
It is also crucial for Hamas never to forget, not for one second, that neither the USA nor Israel will ever be able to move in to protect Mubarak. All Mubarak has are his "security forces" and the corrupt cronies living off the billions his regime gets from the USA.
Egypt is a ripe (although "rotten" might be a better term) fruit, ready to be plucked by the Resistance forces and Gaza border might just be the place to make that happen."
From 'Local Independent Decision' To Internationalist Struggle Bush's Visit: ‘Piles of Meat and River of Blood in Gaza’
By Dr. Adel Samara
In Occupied Ramallah
" The year 2006 was the year of resistance's victory, a victory that deserves deeper analysis of its lessons in fields of political, social, and guerilla and people's war. Most of Lebanon Arabs participated in that war, and not only the brave fighters of Hezbollah. The position of the imperialist agents in that country against the fighters, in the final analysis, gave the victory even a better taste. It was the first challenge of its kind to the Zionist army and the US weapons and politics. The irony is that this victory has been a target of many attacks by defeated camp of Arab comprador regimes that also reduced that victory as they realized that this battle might be the beginning of people's victory.
It is true that this war did not lead to the final defeat of the ‘wild animal’, but it has seriously wounded it and there is no doubt that the ‘wild animal’ will revenge harshly. This settler colonial and capitalist imperialist aggressive base was built for permanent war against Arab Homeland even if the Arabs “donate” to it all Palestine and more. The people's enemies spent the year 2007 preparing for their counter attack to uproot the resistance and to terminate the Palestinian cause.
Consistent with this approach, I believe that the New Year, 2008 is going to be a dark and dangerous one. Otherwise, why would sixteen Arab rulers attend the Annapolis Conference (November 2007) without a clear agenda or a true commitment? The Zionist regime had never stopped its daily killing of Palestinians even during the sessions of Annapolis and Paris conferences. Despite that, the PA leader Abbas called the Zionists who occupy Palestine "our neighbors". It is ironic, that the same words were used by the former fascist Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir 'binano we bain shkinano’ (between us and our neighbors).
But, the participation of Arab ruler in that conference was not just a protocol. It is more dangerous than that of the Madrid Conference (October 1990) which bred the Oslo Accords. It was the Madrid Conference which laid the foundation to the subsequent catastrophic Oslo Accords. Sadly enough, many Palestinians still believe that Dr. Haider Abdulshafi and Arafat had made a contribution and a tangible achievement in these two problematic negotiations, Madrid and Oslo. While in essence both conferences were internally connected and their result was the recognition of the Zionist Ashkenazi Regime (ZAR), i.e. the pure Jewish state which practically means the termination of the Right of Return (ROR) for the Palestinians......"
In Occupied Ramallah
" The year 2006 was the year of resistance's victory, a victory that deserves deeper analysis of its lessons in fields of political, social, and guerilla and people's war. Most of Lebanon Arabs participated in that war, and not only the brave fighters of Hezbollah. The position of the imperialist agents in that country against the fighters, in the final analysis, gave the victory even a better taste. It was the first challenge of its kind to the Zionist army and the US weapons and politics. The irony is that this victory has been a target of many attacks by defeated camp of Arab comprador regimes that also reduced that victory as they realized that this battle might be the beginning of people's victory.
It is true that this war did not lead to the final defeat of the ‘wild animal’, but it has seriously wounded it and there is no doubt that the ‘wild animal’ will revenge harshly. This settler colonial and capitalist imperialist aggressive base was built for permanent war against Arab Homeland even if the Arabs “donate” to it all Palestine and more. The people's enemies spent the year 2007 preparing for their counter attack to uproot the resistance and to terminate the Palestinian cause.
Consistent with this approach, I believe that the New Year, 2008 is going to be a dark and dangerous one. Otherwise, why would sixteen Arab rulers attend the Annapolis Conference (November 2007) without a clear agenda or a true commitment? The Zionist regime had never stopped its daily killing of Palestinians even during the sessions of Annapolis and Paris conferences. Despite that, the PA leader Abbas called the Zionists who occupy Palestine "our neighbors". It is ironic, that the same words were used by the former fascist Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir 'binano we bain shkinano’ (between us and our neighbors).
But, the participation of Arab ruler in that conference was not just a protocol. It is more dangerous than that of the Madrid Conference (October 1990) which bred the Oslo Accords. It was the Madrid Conference which laid the foundation to the subsequent catastrophic Oslo Accords. Sadly enough, many Palestinians still believe that Dr. Haider Abdulshafi and Arafat had made a contribution and a tangible achievement in these two problematic negotiations, Madrid and Oslo. While in essence both conferences were internally connected and their result was the recognition of the Zionist Ashkenazi Regime (ZAR), i.e. the pure Jewish state which practically means the termination of the Right of Return (ROR) for the Palestinians......"
Today I am Proud of Ismail Haneyya
I will Post the English version as soon as it is available
حكومة هنية: سنستمر في العمل لإنهاء الحصار واسترجاع الحقوق الوطنية
"غزة ـ المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام
أعلنت الحكومة الفلسطينية برئاسة إسماعيل هنية أنها ستستمر في "العمل لإنهاء الحصار والتخفيف من معاناة شعبنا، واسترجاع الحقوق الوطنية الثابتة وفي مقدمتها حق العودة وإقامة الدولة وعاصمتها القدس"، مطالبة الشعوب العربية والإسلامية بالاستمرار في الهبّة الجماهيرية لكسر الحصار.
جاء ذلك بعد أن عقدت الحكومة الفلسطينية اجتماعاً طارئاً امتدّ من عصر الخميس (24/1)، إلى فجر الجمعة، برئاسة رئيس الوزراء إسماعيل هنية، ناقشت خلاله التطورات الجارية في أعقاب الهبة الجماهيرية ضد الحصار والتي أدّت إلى إزالة بعض أجزاء من الحدود الفلسطينية المصرية وتدفق آلاف المواطنين عبرها.
وحيّت الحكومة في بيان صادر عن الناطق باسمها تلقى "المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام" الجمعة (25/1)، نسخة عنه، صمود الشعب الفلسطيني وقدرته على كسر الحصار كما حيت موقف مصر رئيساً وحكومة وشعباً وكافة القيادات البرلمانية والنقابية، مثمنة دور شعوب الأمة العربية والإسلامية والجاليات العربية والإسلامية في مختلف الدول، وأحرار العالم في الوقفة المباركة مع الشعب الفلسطيني المحاصر في قطاع غزة.
وأكدت الحكومة في بيانها أنّ مبادرة رئيس الوزراء الفلسطيني إسماعيل هنية "حول اللقاء بين كافة الأطراف المعنية في الحكومة والرئاسة (الفلسطينيتين) والقيادة المصرية؛ انطلقت من الإحساس بالمسؤولية العالية التي يستشعرها والحكومة وليس وفق التفسيرات الغريبة والمدانة التي تحدّث بها نمر حماد مستشار عباس والتي عبرت عن الانزلاق السياسي وضيق الأفق"، مشددة على أنّ الأطراف التي حاصرت قطاع غزة عليها أن "تعترف بالهزيمة أمام إرادة الصمود بالمقدرة على التعامل مع المحنة الشديدة".
وبيّنت الحكومة أنه "إذا ما رفضت قيادات رام الله هذه الدعوة فلن نقف (الحكومة) لننتظر أحداً حتى يأكل الحصار الأخضر واليابس؛ بل سنستمر في العمل لإنهاء الحصار والتخفيف من معاناة شعبنا، واسترجاع الحقوق الوطنية الثابتة وفي مقدمتها حق العودة وإقامة الدولة وعاصمتها القدس".
ورأت الحكومة أنّ المعاناة التي يقاسيها الشعب الفلسطيني هي نتيجة للاتفاقات المجحفة التي وقّعها "فريق فلسطيني وأدت إلى هذه المصيبة التي يعانيها الشعب الفلسطيني منذ شهور، وأدت إلى زيادة تغوّل الاحتلال عدواناً واستيطاناً وإرهاباً وسيطرة على الواقع الفلسطيني"، وفق تأكيدها.
وأعربت الحكومة الفلسطينية عن شكرها الجزيل للمساعدات العاجلة التي قدّمها الشعب المصري لأشقائه بغزة، مطالبة الشعوب العربية بسرعة "تقديم المساعدات للشعب الفلسطيني المحاصر في قطاع غزة"، ومؤكدة في الوقت نفسه أنّ الحكومة ستحرص على سرعة إيصال هذه المساعدات لأبناء الشعب الفلسطيني.
وأعلنت الحكومة في بيانها تمسكها بمطلب الشعب الفلسطيني المتمثل بإنهاء الحصار وللأبد، مضيفة أنها لا تقبل بأي إجراءات أو تفاهمات من شأنها إدامة الحصار أو تجزئته، مطالبة الشعوب العربية والإسلامية بالاستمرار في الهبّة الجماهيرية حتى كسر الحصار وإنهائه بالكامل.
واستعرضت الحكومة الفلسطينية في هذا الصدد الاتصالات التي جرت وتجري مع بعض الأطراف، وخاصة الجانب المصري بشأن مسألة المعابر."
An Update: Egypt re-opens Rafah crossing
"Just minutes after a deadline passed for the border between Egypt to Gaza to be officially shut down, Palestinians have again broken through.
Fighters broke another hole in the border fence with a bulldozer on Friday, and scores of trucks and pedestrians were seen entering into Egypt.
After the 3 pm (1300 GMT) deadline set for the closure, thousands of Gazans were still believed to be on the Egyptian side of the border in the town of Rafah.
The deadline was earlier announced over megaphones on Egyptian security vehicles driving around al-Arish and Egyptian Rafah.
Speaking from the Gaza side of the crossing, Al Jazeera's correspondent Jacky Rowland said the Rafah crossing is open to business.
"The crossing has become open again. Now the Egyptian police have pulled back and the crossing is open and operating again, people are continuing to go cross the border to buy household goods".
Egyptian security forces in full riot gear were deployed along the border in an attempt to prevent Palestinians crossing over to Egypt to stock up on supplies.
Egyptian troops, in green camouflage, bullet-proof vests and helmets and armed with clubs and plastic shields, formed human chains and rolled out barbed wire to prevent more Gazan's from entering Egypt.
At the same time, Gazans were allowed back into the Strip, witnesses said.
Al Jazeera's Amr El Kahky, on the Egyptian side of the Rahaf crossing said there has been no confrontation between the Egyptian and Palestinians.
"The rules of engagement say no engagement. You can't beat the Palestinians or engage with crossfire with them. Egyptians will not use gunfire to deter Palestinians from trying to cross.
Egypt says the borders will inevitablly seal, whether today or a few days later"......"
***
That is the way! Keep the masses mobilized. Keep opening holes; every time they close one, open another. The Egyptians should mass on the Egyptian side of the border to keep the security guard dogs busy, using hit and run tactics.
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