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Thursday, June 30, 2005


No US Funding for Israel’s Illegal Wall

No US Funding for Israel’s Illegal Wall
Washington Wednesday Action Alert
START DATE: Wednesday, July 6
END DATE: To be determined


BACKGROUND
On July 9, 2004, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion that the Wall Israel is building in the occupied Palestinian West Bank is illegal and must be torn down. The ICJ also ruled that countries can not provide aid or assistance to Israel to maintain the Wall. One year after this historic ruling, not only has Israel refused to implement the ICJ opinion, but the United States remains in non-compliance with it as well.

TAKE ACTION
Contact the State Department, White House, and Members of Congress and demand that the United States comply with the ICJ opinion and stop providing Israel with aid to maintain the Wall.

TALKING POINTS
* The International Court of Justice ruled that states cannot "render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created" by Israel’s construction of an illegal Wall in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. (Paragraph 163D: source: http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/icjhome.htm)

* In the $82 billion supplemental war request passed by Congress and signed into
law by President Bush in May 2005, Congress appropriated $200 million "for programs, activities, and efforts to support Palestinians" with $50 million of it going “for assistance for Israel to help ease the movement of Palestinian people and goods in and out of Israel” (source: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:h1268enr.txt.pdf)

* The Israeli Foreign Ministry has announced plans to build high-tech terminals to
solidify its grasp on the occupied Palestinian West Bank under the guise of easing the movement of Palestinian peoples and goods. The Foreign Ministry affirmed that the terminals, funded with $50 million from the United States, will be at "crossing points along the revised route of the security fence." The Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported that Israel plans to build 34 of these terminals into the Wall (sources: http://www.mfa.gov.il/... and http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/591686.html)

* The $50 million that the United States is providing to Israel to build these terminals is illegal and in violation of the ICJ opinion that states cannot provide aid or assistance to Israel to maintain the Wall. The United States purports to advance "the rule of law" globally; it should start doing so by complying with the ICJ decision on the illegality of the Wall Israel is constructing in the occupied Palestinian West Bank.

* Congress has already passed legislation limiting Israel’s use of US assistance "only to support activities in the geographic areas which were subject to the administration of the Government of Israel before June 5, 1967" (Public Law No. 108-11: Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2003) Congress and the Executive Branch must act now to ensure that this $50 million of US aid to Israel is not used in the occupied Palestinian West Bank to maintain Israel’s illegal Wall there.


ABOUT "WASHINGTON WEDNESDAY"
The "Washington Wednesday" is a joint effort of a coalition of Washington-based organizations that coordinate efforts the first Wednesday of each month to bring attention to resolutions affecting the situation in the Middle East currently being considered by Congress and to educate congressional representatives about the situation. Coalition members include: American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee; Fellowship of Reconciliation; Council for the National Interest; Partners for Peace; US Campaign to End the Occupation (including over 120 associated organizations)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Council for the National Interest Foundation click here:


https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=2836

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Council for the National Interest Foundation
1250 4th Street SW, Suite WG-1
Washington, District of Columbia 20024
http://www.cnionline.org/
http://www.rescuemideastpolicy.com/

posted by Somebody @ 9:43 PM Permanent Link 0 comments




News for 06-29-05

06-29-05 - Israeli air force strikes Gaza Residents said the missile struck a water pumping station


06-29-05 - Palestinian teen injured in clashes Five Palestinians were injured in Wednesday's clashes, from stones thrown by settlers. One of the Palestinian sustained a head wound, and was later severely beaten by settlers in a manner witnesses described as an "attempted lynch."


06-29-05 - Police move in on settler protest The Israelis use water cannons on their own non-Arab protestors, but tear gas, rubber bullets, the 'screamer', live rounds, and concussion grenades on Palestinian protestors.


06-29-05 - Israel bans entry of female Palestinian patients


06-29-05 - Israel reneges on transfer of Qalqilyah to Palestinian Authority Meanwhile, a rift between Israel and the United States over arming the PA security services is deepening, Israeli sources said


06-29-05 - Israeli army ejects rightist Jews from Gaza outpost


06-29-05 - Gaza settler chaos strikes Israel


06-29-05 - "Palestinian Ghandi" Still in Jail, Balin Protests Rateb was injured by a sound grenade thrown at him while he lay on the ground. He was then arrested, and refused medical treatment. Israeli peace demonstrators videoed everything and their tape proves Rateb is innocent.


06-29-05 - Israeli settlers attack Palestinian clinic in Gaza


06-29-05 - Israelis poison Palestinian lands before withdrawal: Dahlan "We have definite information that the Israeli settlers are poisoning the lands in order to damage it and to prevent the Palestinians from using it in the future,"


06-29-05 - Samir Rantisi


06-29-05 - A wall as a faultline separating the haves and have-nots Beyond these small examples, 73,000 farmers have been cut off from their land by the Wall. Tulkarem used to be part of the "bread basket" of the West Bank, but last year had to import wheat, the first time in living memory.


06-29-05 - Israeli killed in Hezbollah clash The United Nations said there were contradictory claims about how the clashes started, and the group was in contact with both sides.


06-29-05 - Project promotes awareness between Palestinians and Lebanese


06-29-05 - US defends Israel retaliation over Hezbollah attack


06-29-05 - A pro-Israel lobby and an F.B.I. sting. (aipac lobbied Congress in favor of the Iraq war, but Iraq has not been one of its chief concerns.) Rosen?s main role at aipac, he once told me, was to collect evidence of ?Iranian perfidy? and share it with the United States.



06-29-05 - A dangerous change in peace with Egypt One reason why Israel is refraining from introducing a multinational force into Gaza is apparently the fact that the international community will agree to send forces only on condition that it is convinced that Gaza is a prelude to an overall and consensual peace move, and Sharon is not ready for that


06-29-05 - 18 Years Waiting for a Gavel to Fall Early witchhunt.


06-29-05 - Time and distance shift Israeli migrant attitudes ?Settlers are not right in the head, they don?t seem like nice normal people to me ? I?d give all the (conquered) territories back?.


06-29-05 - Fahmi: Oil gas talks with Palestine


06-29-05 - Security chiefs meeting over immediate Gaza closure Security officials were meeting Wednesday night over a proposal to bar the entrance of Israelis into the Gaza Strip, to prevent far-right extremists from carrying out violent protests against disengagement.


06-29-05 - The Power of Belief and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict


06-29-05 - 'Hizbullah utilizing disengagement' "If the Syrians would still be there perhaps they could have been approached with such a demand (to disarm Hizbullah), but now that they have left Lebanon, there is no one who can do it,"


06-29-05 - JNF Land Swap Raises Questions Civil rights group cries foul over deal that would keep Jews-only sale policy for Negev and Galilee tracts.


06-29-05 - Palestinian refugees ready for disarmament talks Militants in the camps of Lebanon say they will put down their weapons when they are guaranteed security and right-of-return to Palestine


06-29-05 - PNA denies reports on special Palestinian force against Hamas


06-29-05 - Treasury study: Don't allow in more Palestinian laborers


06-29-05 - Evangelicals Eye Middle Ground On Middle East It was partially in response to the growing success of the divestment movement that Haggard led a delegation of evangelical leaders to Israel in mid-May. The idea was to provide a Christian counterbalance to the divestment campaign and to discuss ways to encourage Christian tourism to Israel. I knew this was coming.


06-29-05 - Return to sender, address in 'closed zone'


06-29-05 - Palestinian authority to scan settlements after pullout


06-29-05 - PM:We must stop rampage using all means


06-29-05 - Arab world ready for reforms: Moussa "Iran has the right to use nuclear power for peaceful purposes. The Arab world should be free of weapons of mass destruction. There should be no exemptions in this. It should be implemented by all states, including Israel,"

posted by Somebody @ 12:23 AM Permanent Link 0 comments



Wednesday, June 29, 2005


News for 06-28-05

06-28-05 - Two Palestinian youths severely beaten by mob in moshav Two 15-year-old Palestinians were beaten Tuesday - one of them critically - by close to 200 residents of Moshav Ahiezer, two kilometers northwest of Lod. The youths had attempted to break into one of the homes in the moshav.


06-28-05 - Israel says shoots Palestinian near Gaza settlement


06-28-05 - Palestinian Child Ran Over by Israeli Car


06-28-05 - US weighs $1 billion post-pullout aid The United States government is considering giving Israel $1 billion in a post-disengagement aid package to develop the Negev and the Galilee, US-based sources close to the issue told The Jerusalem Post


06-28-05 - Jewish youths, Palestinians clash in Katif Five Israeli youngsters were injured from stones hurled by Palestinians during the day. One Palestinian was injured by stones thrown by the Israelis.



06-28-05 - Palestinian ministries put on alert


06-28-05 - Palestinian Authority takes anti-corruption steps


06-28-05 - Sharon vows to stop 'wild behaviour' of pullout foes


06-28-05 - Israelis, Palestinians Warned of Tactics "We do not want to allow even a single excuse for anyone to blame us for sabotaging the disengagement," Qureia said after a Cabinet meeting in Gaza City. "We will hold any party totally responsible if they attempt to gamble with our future."


06-28-05 - Disengagement begins with destruction of Palestinian buildings In a dry-run for the disengagement plan Israeli forces moved into the al Mawasi area of the Gaza Strip and demolished 11 Palestinian buildings. Israeli settlers destroyed near-by farm-land and closed down a local health clinic. They established a new settlement called Tam Yam.


06-28-05 - Israeli president slams Iranian leader as "very negative" on Spain visit "The threat is not just on Israel. Iran is trying to develop long range missiles of 2,000 to 3,000 kilometres (1,240 to 1,860 miles). It's a big threat to Europe too," Katsav told a news conference.


06-28-05 - Russia probes Jewish text, Israel protests


06-28-05 - Israel jails soldier for defying orders Mr Bieber, originally from the US and a resident of the West Bank settlement of Tekoa, was convicted on three counts of refusing to carry out an order, threatening and insulting a commander and giving media interviews against Israeli Defence Force regulations, a military spokeswoman said.



06-28-05 - Better than delusions Sharon's withdrawal from Gaza isn't nearly enough, but the wait for a comprehensive deal could last for ever


06-28-05 - Israel denies entry to Jordan academicians Israel has refused to issue visas to 13 Jordanian academicians planning to participate in an educational fair which opens in the West Bank Thursday.


06-28-05 - China Scolds U.S. for Blocking Israeli Arms Sale


06-28-05 - Spain supports Israel's withdrawal from Gaza


06-28-05 - Khan Yunis rapper trio says music, not violence will end occupation Their band PR, or Palestinian Rappers, rejects violence and instead dramatizes the Palestinians' plight in songs with names like "Freedom" and "Our Screams."


06-28-05 - New Grants To Help Palestinians with Democratic, Economic Reform


06-28-05 - Turks mull operating Erez industrial zone


06-28-05 - Annan appoints American chief of relief agency for Palestinian refugees


06-28-05 - EU asks to host event in PA post-pullout


06-28-05 - Drastic reduction of Arab workforce inside Israel is crippling Palestinian Authority Work in Israel is essential for the Palestinian economy until it reaches a rate of growth and the occupation ends and Palestinians have independence.


06-28-05 - Barenboim to conduct youth symphony in Ramallah


06-28-05 - PA acts to prevent Hamas taking over in evacuated Strip


06-28-05 - 'Standard of living in PA better this year'


06-28-05 - Facing the reality in Tehran For years, Israel had difficulty convincing the international community of the gravity of the Iranian threat, until details of Iran's secret nuclear program emerged and a Pakistani nuclear arms smuggling ring was discovered. Pakistani nuclear arms smuggling ring, like this you mean? - "Federal prosecutors are appealing a ruling by a Denver federal magistrate that would set Karni free on $75,000 bond raised by supporters. Prosecutors argue that Karni, an Israeli citizen, should be jailed because he could flee to South Africa or Israel and avoid extradition to the United States."


06-28-05 - Annan welcomes Swiss UN reform plans The foreign minister said Switzerland would shortly present a report to the UN General Assembly about Israel?s controversial security barrier in the occupied Palestinian territories


06-28-05 - US, EU prepare for Egypt's control of Gaza border Twenty military advisers from the United States and the European Union inspected Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday in preparation for Israel's upcoming disengagement.


06-28-05 - Southern Israel hopes to cash in on Gaza withdrawal


06-28-05 - Life in Khan Yunis


06-28-05 - Corsi: Israel would have to attack a nuclear Tehran


06-28-05 - Arab League considers Rice's Mideast trip as "positive"

posted by Somebody @ 12:09 AM Permanent Link 0 comments



Tuesday, June 28, 2005


News for 06-27-05

06-27-05 - Snipers with children in their sights Palestinian civilians have been killed by the army with impunity
Photo of the children killed described in the article


06-27-05 - Israel: Bill Would Deny Compensation for Rights Abuses Human Rights Watch said that Israel has not upheld its obligation under international law to provide an effective remedy to victims of human rights abuses in the Territories, and this bill is yet further evidence of that


06-27-05 - Israeli soldier guilty of British activist's manslaughter An Israeli soldier has been convicted by a military court of the manslaughter of British peace activist Tom Hurndall two years after he was shot in head in the occupied Gaza Strip


06-27-05 - Israeli soldier guilty of killing Briton in Gaza Sgt Taysir, a member of the Bedouin Arab minority, is only the third Israeli soldier convicted of illegal killing even though human rights groups say many more are guilty in the deaths of more than 1,700 Palestinian civilians, one third of them children, since the beginning of the intifada nearly five years ago


06-27-05 - Hurndalls' fight for justice goes on But long before that, the Hurndalls had concluded from a bitter struggle to discover the truth about the shooting of their son that responsibility for his death runs much higher in a military that the family says encourages the shooting of civilians


06-27-05 - Israeli Settlers Attack a Palestinian House and Clinic in al Mawassi


06-27-05 - Poll: 20% prepared to block traffic


06-27-05 - Activists occupy Palestinian house Far right wing activists threatened on Monday to occupy the homes of Palestinians living in Gush Katif's Muwassi Bedouin encampment, raising concern in the IDF and the Gush Katif Police of a premature "explosion," prior to this summer's withdrawal.




06-27-05 - Palestinian enclave among settlers hopes for relief


06-27-05 - Islamic Jihad fires mortars at southern Gaza settlement


06-27-05 - Fatah condemns Israeli military escalation against Palestinians


06-27-05 - Lebanon eases work restrictions on Palestinian refugees Lebanon's main trade union confederation hailed what it described as a "first step towards granting the Palestinians their civil and social rights." But it added that the move should be no substitute to the "implementation of Security Council Resolution 194 (of 1948) regarding the right of return of Palestinians to their homes in Palestine."


06-27-05 - Palestinians hold Israel responsible for settlers' attacks in Hebron During the past few days, several mob attacks on Palestinian citizens erupted in Hebron and at least three Palestinian men were injured, according to the statement.


06-27-05 - Palestinian groups plan to move to Gaza According to the newspaper, Dahlan's invitation came following US pressure on Syria to close down the offices and bases of Hamas and other Palestinian radical groups


06-27-05 - Palestinian teen jailed for 8 years over attempted suicide mission Several sources said Abdu was of below-average intelligence, and the degree to which he was aware of his actions was unclear.


06-27-05 - Gaza pullout protesters block Israeli highway There has been speculation in the Israeli press that Benjamin Netanyahu, finance minister, might decide to back a delay to the withdrawal, even if that prompted a showdown with Mr Sharon.


06-27-05 - Israel: U.N. Must Halt Iran Nuke Ambitons Speaking to The Israeli Project, a private group committed to Israel's security, Ayalon said he did not see much of a difference between President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a hard-liner elected by a landslide last weekend, and other Iranian candidates he defeated. The Israeli Project is the same outfit that is conducting witchhunts/smear_campaigns against professors in the US.


06-27-05 - Israel, U.S. Discuss Israeli Weapons Deals It also might set precedent and designate Israel as a strategic partner of the United States, with the two sides considerate of each others' concerns. That could imply some restraints on U.S. arms sales to Arab countries.


06-27-05 - The ISM's controversial activists


06-27-05 - Apology proves spies were in NZ: Clark


06-27-05 - Jewish settlers erect new Gaza outpost


06-27-05 - Japan to pursue Palestinian airport repair


06-27-05 - Israel protests gunfire across Syria armistice line But a Syrian official rejected the Israeli account. "It was just youngsters throwing firecrackers to mark the anniversary of the liberation of the town of Quneitra," the official told the state SANA news agency.



06-27-05 - Standoff in Gaza Some 600 settlers and their supporters streamed to the Maoz Hayam hotel Monday night in Gush Katif, following rumors IDF forces planned to storm the building


06-27-05 - USAID denies funding Palestinian terror "The accusations of this report are all ludicrous," said Sylvana Foa, head of USAID's public diplomacy office in the West bank and Gaza Mission. "There is not one fact connected with the charges [PMW] is making. We are so much in compliance that it slows our work a great deal. But we are very very happy to stay in compliance."


06-27-05 - Israel suspends construction of 50 settlements in W. Bank


06-27-05 - After 20 years Palestinians are finally allowed to work


06-27-05 - The Anti-Arab Ad that Appeared in the IHT According to the AJC, the advertisement appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and the International Herald Tribune, all part of the New York Times publishing empire.


06-27-05 - 500 Palestinian police officers back to work


06-27-05 - Haaretz daily: Israeli integrators entertain Torturing Palestinian Detainees


06-27-05 - PNA bars dealing of lands near Gaza settlements


06-27-05 - Disputes Arise Over Passage to Peace Less than two months before Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Cairo and Tel Aviv are still hashing out security arrangements that will govern the so-called 'Philadelphi Corridor', the 13km long border road between Egypt and Israel.



06-27-05 - Solana to visit Palestinian in mid-July


06-27-05 - Korean FM's Visit to Palestine 'Historical'


06-27-05 - North American Jews to help Ethiopians Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has won the help of North American Jews, who promised to raise $100 million to bring Ethiopian Falashmura to Israel.




06-27-05 - Rather hosts moderate Israeli religious leaders

posted by Somebody @ 12:28 AM Permanent Link 0 comments




News for 06-26-05

06-26-05 - Four Residents, Two Critically,Wounded in Suspect Detonation left by the occupation


06-26-05 - 4 kids wounded by mysterious explosion in Rafah


06-26-05 - Settlers attack Palestinians in wake of teen deaths


06-26-05 - Arab-Israeli clashes in Hebron Settlers in the West Bank town of Hebron apparently initiated revenge attacks following the death of two teenagers in a drive-by shooting.


06-26-05 - Police officer stabbed in Jerusalem


06-26-05 - Settlers seek revenge in Hebron


06-26-05 - Jews Suspected in Assault Against Hevron Arab Resident


06-26-05 - Israeli teen dies of wounds after W. Bank shooting


06-26-05 - Palestinian parliamentary election likely in next January: sources


06-26-05 - Korea, Palestine to Exchange Diplomatic Representatives


06-26-05 - Palestinian Government, Non-Government Institutions Call to Abolish all Forms of Torture


06-26-05 - Israel bows to U.S. pressure, will curb defense exports The U.S. says this is not an isolated incident and that it reflects a pattern. They cite the Falcon airplane affair and before that, the sale of advanced Lavi airplane technology and air-to-air missiles to China.


06-26-05 - Internal, foreign elements behind security deterioration: official


06-26-05 - Israel reopens Rafah border crossing


06-26-05 - Palestinian special force to protect evacuated settlements: sources "We want this to be quiet and clean," Abbas told reporters in Ramallah. "We are preparing ourselves to be ready ... to take control of these settlements and to preserve the properties because it is property the Palestinian people can use,"


06-26-05 - Jordan blasts Israeli settlement expansion


06-26-05 - Haifa youth suspected of terror attacks on Arabs ruled fit for trial


06-26-05 - Israeli Army invades Bal'in, enforces curfew on nearby village of Saffa


06-26-05 - Israeli troops tell of tactics to abuse Palestinians


06-26-05 - Israel approves settler relocation plan


06-26-05 - Recognition of equal rights


06-26-05 - PNA interior minister meets Islamic Jihad leaders


06-26-05 - Bilin tests non-violent resistance


06-26-05 - Air Force to get USD 100 million plane Part of the deal will be financed with U.S. aid money.


06-26-05 - Israeli government apologises to New Zealand Israel has apologised for the spy scandal and has promised it will take steps to ensure no similar incident happens again


06-26-05 - Palestinians keep dream of return alive


06-26-05 - Israel bows to U.S. over arms exports - newspaper Israel has bowed to U.S. pressure to cancel an arms deal with China and will impose tighter controls on its weapons exports in general, Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported on Sunday.




06-26-05 - Analyst worries over China's use of Israeli drone


06-26-05 - Indictments expected against two sacked AIPAC officers This episode ties in with the tough sanctions the Pentagon has imposed on Israel?s defense establishment


06-26-05 - Israel Backs Down in Face-off With U.S. Over Arms to China by forcing Israel to back down, the Bush administration is expected to gain leverage in its effort to convince the European Union to maintain its arms embargo against China


06-26-05 - HAS ABBAS BEEN LEFT TWISTING IN THE WIND AGAIN?


06-26-05 - Gaza clashes as demolitions begin Israeli settlers have clashed with soldiers in the Gaza Strip during work to dismantle buildings ahead of the planned withdrawal from the territory.


06-26-05 - Jerusalem gay march ban set aside


06-26-05 - Israeli soldier refuses to demolish Jewish settlement Israel radio reported that one soldier, a member of the Engineering Corporation, was arrested and his gun taken after he refused to take part in the demolitions.


06-26-05 - Shalom urges tough int'l plan for Iran


06-26-05 - Refugee reject takes case to Hill

posted by Somebody @ 12:25 AM Permanent Link 0 comments



Sunday, June 26, 2005


U.S. policy on Israel key motive for effort

Posted on Fri, Jul. 23, 2004




THE MASTERMIND


U.S. policy on Israel key motive for effort

PLOTTER INVOLVED BIN LADEN TO GAIN MORE RESOURCES

By Terry McDermott

LOS ANGELES TIMES


Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the man who conceived and directed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was motivated by his strong disagreement with American support for Israel, said the final report of the Sept. 11 commission.

Mohammed conceived the initial outline of the attack six years before its execution and brought the plan to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden because he thought he did not have the resources to carry it out on his own.

The Sept. 11 report contains the fullest accounting of Mohammed's overarching role from original conception to supervision of details. Bin Laden, too, was fully involved, selecting all or most of the participants, ordering the substance and the location of their training, and contributing to the timing of the attacks and the selection of targets, the report says.

The report makes a strong case that al-Qaida accomplished the attacks without any hint of state sponsorship. The report also appears to lay to rest the notion, long alluded to by administration officials including Vice President Dick Cheney, that hijacker Mohamed Atta traveled to the Czech Republic to meet an Iraqi intelligence operative in the spring of 2001.

In addition to repeating evidence that Atta was in the United States at the time, the report revealed that the Iraqi agent was not in Prague either when the meeting was alleged to have occurred.

Much of the report's detail comes from interrogations of al-Qaida operatives in U.S. custody, including Mohammed and Ramzi Binalshibh. Some of that information is contradictory; much of it is difficult to corroborate. One CIA analysis cited in the report, for example, is titled "Khalid Shaykh Muhammed's Threat Reporting -- Precious Truths, Surrounded by a Bodyguard of Lies."




Source


Kentucky Herald pulled the story, as I thought would happen after a while.

It can be found at the Internet Archive, but even then it may still get yanked.



Unfortunately for America, no other news service carried this story, despite its importance.

posted by Somebody @ 2:11 PM Permanent Link 0 comments




News for 06-25-05

06-25-05 - Settler wounds Palestinian child in Hebron Meanwhile, a Palestinian child was seriously wounded when Jewish settlers threw a grenade inside her home in the West Bank city of Hebron.





06-25-05 - Army to grab 2012 Dunams near Nablus


06-25-05 - Anglicans urge putting pressure on companies doing business with Israel The council also welcomed a report on the conflict that criticized Israel's conduct and expressed sympathy for "the draconian conditions of the continuing occupation" in which many Palestinians live


06-25-05 - Israel arrests 15 Jihad members in West Bank


06-25-05 - Israelis quit Palestinian schools Palestinians who visited the abandoned buildings after the soldiers left said they found a trail of devastation, with smashed doors and windows, and broken desks.


06-25-05 - 'We'll shake Tel Aviv' Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terrorists will strike in Tel Aviv should Israel continue to arrest terror suspects in the West Bank town of Tul Karem, a senior figure in the terror group warned during a conversation with Ynet Saturday.


06-25-05 - Shooter of Palestinian Fatah member said arrested


06-25-05 - Rafah Border Crossing closed the crossing will remain closed at least for one day since more than 2500 residents have been stuck on the crossing over the last 24 hours after the Israeli side did not allow them in


06-25-05 - Rice warns against settlement expansion Meanwhile construction is continuing in the territories, especially in Ma'aleh Adumim, east of Jerusalem, and Upper Beitar. However, the U.S. administration has objected to the plans to link Ma'aleh Adumim to the capital, and to large-scale expropriation of Palestinian land in East Jerusalem.


06-25-05 - EU: Egypt plays a key role in filling security and political vacuum in Gaza


06-25-05 - Indian Affairs panel hears 'tale of betrayal' McCain traced the trail of money from the Choctaws? coffers to a private company controlled by Abramoff, a private Jewish school founded by Abramoff and even paramilitary groups in Israel.



06-25-05 - Jewish Settlers to Move Out of Gaza Homes Meanwhile, Israeli troops evacuated two army positions in the West Bank city of Hebron, including one in a Palestinian elementary school, the army said Saturday. About 2,000 Palestinian students had been forced to transfer schools in 2002 after troops took over the educational complex to establish an army post, said Mohammed Qawasme, the director of the Education Department in Hebron. Troops damaged the school buildings and it will take a year to reopen the facility, he added.



06-25-05 - 'Anti-Semitism' As A Political Weapon


06-25-05 - Palestinians plan to prevent looting


06-25-05 - Rice silent on women?s rights in Middle East "The main dilemma that US policy faces is what to do if the democratic process brings to the fore parties taking anti-western, anti-US and anti-Israeli positions,"


06-25-05 - Anarchy warning as leak foils plan to raid Gaza pullout opponents' bastion Israel's top law officer warned of the danger of anarchy breaking out during the operation to uproot settlers from the Gaza Strip as an embarrassing leak forced security chiefs to scrap a raid on an extremist bastion


06-25-05 - Editorial: Palestinians and civil rights Imagine, for example, hundreds of Palestinian men, women and children, some of them Islamic and even Christian clergy, peacefully marching on, say, an Israeli military checkpoint. Palestinians protest nonviolently just about every day. This goes unreported in the US media.


06-25-05 - Palestinian official says security services 'responsible' for lawlessness


06-25-05 - Outrage greets Israeli military chief


06-25-05 - Saudi urges more aid for Palestinians


06-25-05 - Putin, Wolfensohn to discuss Mideastern settlement


06-25-05 - LIFE Inaugurates Two State-of-the-Art Medical Facilities in Palestinian Territories


06-25-05 - Boos based on Mideast borders The woman in the monologue says that "for Palestinians," the invasion of Iraq "is about one thing: defending the interest of America's three-billion-a-year colony in the Middle East," a reference to Israel. She asserts that the U.S. ignores U.N. resolutions about Israel while using U.N. resolutions to justify the Iraq invasion. She concludes that Palestinians are now victims, as Jews were earlier ? "We are the Jews of the Jews."



06-25-05 - Spielberg project leaves Mossad cold While standing by his source, Jonas admitted that "certain details of the story were incapable of being verified".


06-25-05 - Where is Palestine? Ask Bush

posted by Somebody @ 12:28 AM Permanent Link 0 comments



Saturday, June 25, 2005


News for 06-24-05

06-24-05 - Israeli killed in drive-by attack


06-24-05 - 15 arrested in protest against Israel's West Bank barrier Three Palestinians and two foreign activists were lightly wounded by rubber bullets and 15 arrests were made


06-24-05 - 6 residents arrested, British peace activist injured in Hebron


06-24-05 - Israel plans to double number of settlers in Jordan Valley Under the terms of the internationally-backed roadmap peace plan, Israel is meant to freeze all settlement activity but the government has continued to come up with expansion schemes


06-24-05 - Palestinian gov't denounces killing of policeman in Jenin


06-24-05 - Anglicans Consider Divesting in Solidarity With Palestinians


06-24-05 - Israeli land seizures undercut hopes for peace


06-24-05 - Palestinian security hunt militants suspected of slaying policeman


06-24-05 - Palestinian police, militants exchange gunfire


06-24-05 - Islamic Jihad rallies in Ramallah despite Palestinian Authority


06-24-05 - Anglican share vote angers Israelis


06-24-05 - Islamic Jihad threatens to end period of calm if Israel targets leaders


06-24-05 - Jordan River heavily polluted by sewage


06-24-05 - Abbas meets ROK FM on Mideast peace process Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas met on Friday with Ban Ki-Moon, foreign affairs and trade minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK).


06-24-05 - Report: U.S. Government Funds Terrorism-Promotion An Israeli watchdog group alleges that American aid to Palestinian universities and cities promotes terrorism.


06-24-05 - Rapture index rides a bull market Our sons and daughters will needlessly die in Iraq, our troops will not come home soon, and our national respect will nosedive as long as those in power influencing the White House believe God likes Israel but abhors the Palestinians


06-24-05 - Is the USA Really Israel's Ally?


06-24-05 - A wild idea takes root Before they traveled from the Gaza Strip to Maine this week, the closest the two Palestinian boys had ever come to speaking with an Israeli was at a military checkpoint, where soldiers shouted at them through megaphones


06-24-05 - Tel-Aviv, Refusing to serve the occupation


06-24-05 - Israeli worries about AIPAC


06-24-05 - MK Bishara: Israeli Actions in Jerusalem Go Beyond Belief


06-24-05 - High-tech crossings aim to ease way of life The new terminals will work as follows: Upon entering, the Palestinian's permit will be checked, and he will then purchase a magnetic card for a nominal fee. Initially, each card will be good for only one day


06-24-05 - Something is bothering the FBI Some claim the most recent proceedings are tainted with a desire to undermine the group of neoconservatives in the Pentagon.



06-24-05 - Swiss handball brings nations together three of the Palestinian players were refused permission to travel by Israel, so only two made it to the official launch on Tuesday in Magglingen in canton Bern

posted by Somebody @ 3:00 PM Permanent Link 0 comments



Friday, June 24, 2005


News for 06-23-05

06-23-05 - Armed men kill Palestinian policeman


06-23-05 - Youth injured near Salfit


06-23-05 - Palestinians placed between false choices


06-23-05 - Palestinians may annul rulings of security courts Abbas wants new trials for Palestinians convicted by security courts, including at least 10 sentenced to death, as part of efforts to implement political and security reforms aimed at curbing lawlessness and increasing accountability


06-23-05 - World powers urge Israel to ease checkpoints


06-23-05 - G8 urges smooth Gaza pullout,quartet presses Israel


06-23-05 - Palestinians proceed on disarmament deal


06-23-05 - Mofaz: Bethlehem may be turned over to PA next week


06-23-05 - Jerusalem lawyer identifies Jewish group in Greek Orthodox property scandal Israeli media have reported the church leased the Imperial Hotel and other prime property in East Jerusalem for 198 years to unidentified Jewish groups that are seeking to expand the Jewish presence in that traditionally Arab sector of the city


06-23-05 - 1 000 Palestinians 'stranded'


06-23-05 - Palestinians reject bearing expense of settlement demolition


06-23-05 - French groups oppose Sharon visit How can Chirac "roll out the red carpet to a war criminal like Sharon?" the groups asked in a collective statement


06-23-05 - Protest and celebration More than 8,000 Palestinians, including supporters of Al Mubadara (the Palestinian National Initiative) and Independents, attended a demonstration and rally marking the Third Anniversary of the founding of the Palestinian National Initiative.


06-23-05 - NATO MAKES FIRST VISIT TO PA


06-23-05 - Israeli forces interrogate Palestinian female patients


06-23-05 - PNA to begin anti-chaos campaign in West Bank


06-23-05 - Jihad denies prisoner dies of disease in Israeli jail


06-23-05 - More Israel violations of Lebanon space


06-23-05 - Lebanese deputy: Mossad behind assassinations


06-23-05 - China, Israel discuss expanding defense ties Committee chairman Yuval Steinitz said the relations with China were "extremely" important for Israel, referring to China as the "giant" and Israel as the "dwarf."



06-23-05 - Jerusalem to Ban Annual Gay Pride Parade See earlier story from March - Petition: No 'gay pride'
in holy city



06-23-05 - Church rules out share sale 'gesture'


06-23-05 - EU states also need to deal with Israel


06-23-05 - Confronting Israeli Myth-Making


06-23-05 - Sharon 'dangerous' for Israel Right-wing Jewish extremists have begun hanging up posters in Jerusalem, depicting Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon wearing a kaffiyeh or Arab headdress.


06-23-05 - ?Arabs get raw deal' Israelis generally do not like Arabs because local media outlets incite viewers against them


06-23-05 - American woman to head UNRWA


06-23-05 - Gaza pullout co-operation urged


06-23-05 - Pro-Israel Groups: Campuses Improving Goldberg said that since the second intifada began in 2000 and anti-Israel activity spiked, pro-Israel advocates have mounted a coordinated campaign and made great strides in their effort to win back campus sentiment


06-23-05 - Seeds Of Peace Camp Opens For 13th Season

posted by Somebody @ 12:06 AM Permanent Link 0 comments



Wednesday, June 22, 2005


News for 06-22-05

06-22-05 - Israel resumes targeted killings


06-22-05 - Failure to Probe Civilian Casualties Fuels Impunity The Israeli military has fostered a climate of impunity in its ranks by failing to thoroughly investigate whether soldiers have killed and injured Palestinian civilians unlawfully or failed to protect them from harm, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.


06-22-05 - Israel fires missiles at Jihad activists An Israeli aircraft fired missiles at four Islamic Jihad men in the Gaza village of Beit Lahiya yesterday as they launched rockets into Israel.


06-22-05 - Israel might hit Gaza after withdrawal "If needed, Israel will return to the Gaza Strip after the disengagement for several days in order to put an end to terror,"


06-22-05 - Palestinian militants deny involvement in shooting


06-22-05 - Israel threatens air strikes to protect Gaza pullout Israel threatened to launch air strikes in Gaza, even at the risk of Palestinian civilian casualties, if militants try to disrupt its planned August pullout from the territory.


06-22-05 - MIDDLE EAST SITUATION REMAINS CRITICAL, SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON PALESTINIAN RIGHTS TOLD


06-22-05 - WHouse declines to criticize Israel assassinations


06-22-05 - U.S.: Watch out for settlers the State Department warned Americans about "violent settlers" expected during Israeli disengagement from Gaza and the northern West Bank.



06-22-05 - Church may black firms over Israeli 'occupation' Pressure is growing for increased sanctions against Israel, and the Presbyterian Church in the US has already begun a similar programme.


06-22-05 - Police arrest settler who shot at Palestinians


06-22-05 - Israel mulls overland links between Gaza, West Bank


06-22-05 - Israel, Palestinians to hold security talks


06-22-05 - Gunman fires on Palestinian PM


06-22-05 - Murdered in name of family honour Chris McGreal in Ramallah reports on a rise in killings of Palestinian women


06-22-05 - Israel continues raiding West Bank areas


06-22-05 - Palestinian civilans could be in harms way during pullout Israel may have to use weapons that are capable of harming the civilian population if there are terrorist attacks during the implementation of this summer's ... Story no longer exists.


06-22-05 - Abbas seeks international help after Sharon brush-off The Israeli press concluded that the former general had undermined the moderate Abbas.


06-22-05 - Study: most Gaza refugees reject abandoning right of return


06-22-05 - Palestinian prisoners in Israel on hunger strike


06-22-05 - Islamic Jihad vows to retaliate Israeli attack


06-22-05 - Conference examines plight of elderly refugees "It does not matter who provides the assistance, what is important is to live the rest of our days with dignity."


06-22-05 - U.S. breaks diplomatic boycott with visit to Gaza Strip


06-22-05 - YU Poll: U.S. Jews, Israelis Sharply Pro-Pullout


06-22-05 - IRAQ: Focus on treatment of foreign Arabs The official continued, saying that living conditions for displaced Sudanese and Palestinians were deteriorating and that urgent action was needed from the new government


06-22-05 - They look at the burns and are silent


06-22-05 - OPEC Fund replenishes special grant account for Palestine


06-22-05 - CLC resolution: end settlements, fence Paul Purrit, the CLC?s international department program director, told The CJN he did not understand the uproar the statement caused in the Jewish community, because it was ?quite well-balanced? and, in terms of policy, if not language, not much different from the position of Israel?s Labor Party


06-22-05 - 'It's all about demography'? ex-Israeli envoy warns When that demographic point is reached, he predicted, Palestinians will reject a two-state solution as impractical and impossible, and demand "one state for two peoples," the antithesis of the Zionist dream.


06-22-05 - Foreign teams to supervise Israeli withdrawal


06-22-05 - Conflicts in Israel disturb Iowans I was most struck by the extent of the - I don't want to use a loaded word - but the extent of the oppression necessitated in the interest of national security. The checkpoints, the wall, the need for Palestinians to use a subset of highways and roads, the need to get permits to travel from place to place, the demolition of houses and confiscations of homes involved.


06-22-05 - Middle East peace tops G8 meeting British officials say there will be a presentation by James Wolfensohn, the former World Bank president who is now a special envoy representing the "quartet" of Middle East peace mediators who is charged with overseeing the pullout.


06-22-05 - Barber is going global Barber will make an appearance on behalf of the Peres Center for Peace,


06-22-05 - Caged in by the Wall Bil?in Today at 6:00 AM the villagers of Bil?in placed a large metal cage on the route
of the illegal annexation Wall that is being built on their land.


06-22-05 - Bauer: Major TV Networks Boycotted 'Hospital Bomber' Story Maybe they noticed the always coincidental timing of these things; right before a summit.

posted by Somebody @ 11:36 PM Permanent Link 0 comments




News for 06-21-05

06-21-05 - Army attacks a peaceful procession in Marda


06-21-05 - Palestinians report IAF strike in Gaza Strip Israeli defense sources refused to comment on the report, but officials confirmed that targeted assassinations were being resumed.



06-21-05 - Israel: Wall in Jeruaslem is political too Israel in the past has insisted the routing of the wall was a security matter only


06-21-05 - Tour keeps woman?s efforts going


06-21-05 - Israel agrees in principle to re-operate Gaza airport


06-21-05 - Likud rebel lawmakers seek to apply Israeli law to West Bank


06-21-05 - AIPAC can place you by the elbow of the president It seems obvious that Franklin assumed ? perhaps correctly ? that Rosen and AIPAC had connections and influence that went above Douglas Feith who abruptly resigned after the FBI probe became public. So, who exactly was the AIPAC connection at the National Security Council? I am guessing it was Elliot Abrams


06-21-05 - ?Israel torpedoing international festival? Palestinians say Israeli Civil Administration is wrecking Ramallah festival by denying several artists permission to enter territories


06-21-05 - No one is exempt from International Law - Statement on International Refugee Day


06-21-05 - Bitter Abbas-Sharon summit makes little headway


06-21-05 - Jerusalem municipality delays demolition of Silwan homes But a representative of the residents, lawyer Sami Ershied, said tenants in the neighborhood of Silwan continue to receive demolition orders and he denied that a committee to work out a compromise was formed.


06-21-05 - Israel targets Islamic Jihad before Sharon-Abbas talks The operation, in which the army said 52 members of Islamic Jihad were taken into custody, was the biggest sweep against wanted militants since Mr Abbas and Mr Sharon declared a truce at their previous meeting on February 8.


06-21-05 - High Court rejects petition against fence in Jerusalem The section of the West Bank separation fence located within the Jerusalem municipal boundaries has political, not just security, significance, the State Prosecution told the High Court of Justice yesterday.


06-21-05 - Withdrawal is a prelude to annexation


06-21-05 - Haifa, peaceful town with a silent pain


06-21-05 - The Great Awakening to the Iraq Deception


06-21-05 - Mofaz faces difficult questions IDF soldiers. He said children have thrown stones at troops and their parents have insulted them. "We don't have the tools to deal with this," he said. Sure they do. Palestinian stonethrowers (including small children) get live rounds and rubber-coated steel bullets, machine gun fire from a tank etc from the IDF.



06-21-05 - "Until When" Film to be Presented June 29 in New Jersey


06-21-05 - Judge decries inaction over probe into riot deaths in 2000


06-21-05 - Resolution Of Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Holds Key To Mid-East Peace


06-21-05 - For U.N.'s 60th birthday, Israel, Jewish groups have a few wishes Who is behind the recent demands by the US for 'reforms' at the UN, I wonder?


06-21-05 - US eases West Bank travel limits for US person


06-21-05 - Paris hosts month-long 'Welcome, Palestine!' event


06-21-05 - McClellan addresses Israeli 'security concerns' Translation: 'Palestinian terrorism' justifies Israeli land theft in the eyes of the Zionist.

posted by Somebody @ 12:06 AM Permanent Link 0 comments



Monday, June 20, 2005


News for 06-20-05

06-20-05 - A Teen killed by the Soldiers while Hunting Birds in G. Strip


06-20-05 - Jewish settler, Palestinian killed on eve of summit In Gaza, Israeli troops shot dead a 17-year-old Palestinian civilian and wounded another youth near a road between the border and the settlement of Netzarim


06-20-05 - Ain al-Hilweh refugees protest neglect on World Refugee Day Monday was World Refugee Day and residents of the habitat marked the occasion by gathering around Palestinian and Lebanese flags at the entrance to the area.


06-20-05 - Palestinians seek to turn rubble of settler homes into Gaza port Under international law, as an occupier in the Gaza Strip, Israel is obliged to return the Palestinian territory in the same shape it was seized in 1967.


06-20-05 - Sharon, Abbas to hold historic talks in Jerusalem


06-20-05 - Palestinian official calls militant attacks on Israel "embarrassment" Tawfeek Abu Khousa told reporters that the recent escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip was "a desperate attempt by some militant groups to weaken and embarrass the PNA."



06-20-05 - Abbas vows to avoid Palestinian civil war


06-20-05 - Israel agrees in principle to re-operate Gaza airport


06-20-05 - PM: We will stop Palestinian fire during disengagement Sneh argued that destroying the homes would portray Israel in a negative way around the world, and that Israel would also have to cover the cost of the demolition. "Where is the wisdom in that?" he asked


06-20-05 - Arrest warrants for Gaza attackers


06-20-05 - National Lawyers Guild Condemns Israeli Governmental Bill Currently Being Discussed by the Knesset Bill would deny compensation to Palestinian victims of Israeli acts or omission including war crimes perpetrated in the occupied Palestinian territories


06-20-05 - Woman at Israeli hospital had explosives


06-20-05 - Rice discusses Middle East with Saudi crown prince


06-20-05 - Abbas, Chinese FM mull Middle East peace process


06-20-05 - Foreign minister tours Israel and Palestine Israel is eager to strengthen exchanges with China in all fields and deepen understanding and co-operation with the country, Shalom said.


06-20-05 - Forgotten Beduin petition High Court


06-20-05 - Poll shows Palestinians support truce


06-20-05 - Israel installs spy cameras at al-Aqsa Mosque


06-20-05 - PNA orders 72 security officers to retire


06-20-05 - Deir Yassin: the Absurd Historical Revisionism of Steven Plaut


06-20-05 - Rush Hurries to Spielberg Project Why is this movie being rushed (no pun intended) into production for a December release? It kind of makes you wonder. Do the pro-Israelis need the Hasbara this badly, and why?...

posted by Somebody @ 11:31 PM Permanent Link 0 comments



Sunday, June 19, 2005


News for 06-19-05

06-19-05 - Israeli soldier, Palestinian gunman killed in Gaza


06-19-05 - Israeli plan to build 700 new settler homes in West Bank draws US rebuke Both sprawling settlements are located around annexed east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians hope to make the capital of their promised state


06-19-05 - US and Israel close to deal on arms sales Israel and the US were yesterday reported to be close to a deal that would give the Pentagon the right to vet Israeli weapons sales to third countries.


06-19-05 - Israel apologizes to U.S. over China arms sale "If things were done that were not acceptable to the Americans then we are sorry but these things were done with the utmost innocence,"


06-19-05 - Israel bids to defuse Chinese arms sales row with US Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom insisted Israel had "acted in good faith" amid continued fallout from a deal to upgrade Harpy Killer drones which Israel sold to China.


06-19-05 - Israel: No more arms for Palestinians Sharon emphasized that Israel would not allow weapons and ammunition to be delivered to the Palestinian Authority


06-19-05 - Survey finds Israeli Arabs accept Jewish, not Zionist, nature of state


06-19-05 - Roadblock set up near rightists' Gaza hotel Said one senior IDF officer yesterday: "It is clear that the hotel occupants were the provocateurs here. This is what they do at their homes in Judea and Samaria ... They feel their Sabbath is incomplete if they have not attacked Palestinians."



06-19-05 - Rice's response to PA's demands: counter-demands


06-19-05 - Israel, Palestinians agree to demolish Gaza settler homes However as she was leaving the country, the Israeli housing ministry announced that it would seek tender offers at the end of the year for building 700 new homes in the West Bank settlements of Maale Adumim and Beitar Eilit.


06-19-05 - 'X Committee' Out To Sharon is convinced that the conditions must be set for decisive military actions against both Syria and Iran, before an American military withdrawal from Iraq.



06-19-05 - Shalom calls for swift end to China arms sale crisis with U.S. Shalom acknowledged U.S. pressure on Israel to dismiss Defense Ministry top brass over the crisis, but declined to comment on the policy of another ministry.


06-19-05 - Another painful spying case


06-19-05 - Former extremist Israeli settler thanks Allah at new West Bank home


06-19-05 - Govt increases funding for Palestinian refugees Australia's aid package for the Palestinians now totals $12 million dollars for this financial year.


06-19-05 - 'Collaborators' villagers seek refuge


06-19-05 - Mofaz Suggests Razing Homes & Leaving Debris for PA


06-19-05 - Justice keeps suit vs. Halutz out of court for two years In September 2003, the group petitioned the High Court to open a criminal investigation against then air force chief Dan Halutz, now chief of staff, because of an order that he gave to assassinate Palestinian terrorist Salah Shehadeh by dropping a one-ton bomb on a residential neighborhood in Gaza in July 2002


06-19-05 - Egyptian FM: Pullout must come with deal on W. Bank


06-19-05 - Rice and the Palestinians Ironically, the only goods easily allowed into Palestinian cities are Israeli, giving them a huge advantage at the expense of local products and services.



06-19-05 - Protesters greet hundreds celebrating Israel's 57th anniversary "Palestinian people never had a problem with Jews before Zionism," said Rabbi Dovid Feldman, of Monsey, N.Y


06-19-05 - On Track Innovations makes 'smart cards' The cards were developed by an Israeli company with U.S. headquarters in Fort Lee


06-19-05 - Corries, Palestinians close to daughter team for fund-raiser


06-19-05 - Jordan calls for complete Israeli withdrawal from West Bank

posted by Somebody @ 11:55 PM Permanent Link 0 comments




News for 06-18-05

06-18-05 - Palestinian killed in gunfight with Israeli soldiers at Gaza settlement


06-18-05 - Three Palestinians hurt in attacks by settlers in southern Gaza Right-wing extremists living in the hotel at Neveh Dekalim in Gush Katif on Saturday attacked Palestinians from the adjacent Moassi area. Three Palestinians were wounded in the attack, which met a response of mortars being fired at Gush Katif.



06-18-05 - AIPAC suspects shared info with boss Some fear that the case will inhibit the functioning of Jewish organizations and others that deal with the executive branch. "Not just Jewish organizations, but lobbyists in general," said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. "Lawyers will be telling their clients, 'Let's look at practices.'"



06-18-05 - Rice Urges Moves On Gaza Pullout Plan


06-18-05 - Rice says time is short to nail down Gaza handover Israeli military radio also reported that she pressed the Jewish state for "substantial" measures to improve the lives of Palestinians and for the release of more prisoners to keep up the good will in peace efforts.


06-18-05 - Israel, PA agree to measures meant to ease lives of Palestinians


06-18-05 - Chinese FM in Jordan on first leg of regional tour "China is monitoring developments in the Middle East and working to achieve progress in the peace process ... within the framework of the roadmap"


06-18-05 - Rice demands Palestinian reform


06-18-05 - Israel to urge PA to house refugees in settlements


06-18-05 - Handicapped, unemployed protest in Gaza:-


06-18-05 - Palestinian ministry renews call to stop shelling Israeli targets


06-18-05 - Hebron: What A Difference Five Years Makes But after being gone for a little over five years the long term effects are
evident and devastating. I began to see the difference when the taxi to
Hebron was leaving Jerusalem. The Israeli settlements on the outskirts of
Jerusalem had grown dramatically. By the time we got to Bethlehem, it was
apparent that Bethlehem would soon be surrounded by settlements.


06-18-05 - Israel closes Gaza for 2nd straight day


06-18-05 - Palestinian parliament approves legislative election law


06-18-05 - Abbas: 'We stand by our word' Less than two months before disengagement, US secretary of state meets with PA chairman in Ramallah; Rice says, 'I imagine that it's not the dream of Palestinian mothers to see their children become suicide bombers'


06-18-05 - Israeli TV says US, UK to give Israel time to 'heal' after Gaza withdrawal


06-18-05 - Palestinian Red Crescent in race against time Even with such coordination, and after permission has been granted to enter the area, soldiers have sometimes opened fi re on the EMTs, leading to injuries and even deaths of those attempting to carry out their humanitarian medical mission


06-18-05 - Shared History, Shared Defiance


06-18-05 - Jewish Groups Launch Campaign


06-18-05 - Israel takes part in NATO exercise


06-18-05 - Fighting the wall with gravestones in Bil'in


06-18-05 - Dean Condemns 'Anti-Semitic Literature' One witness, former intelligence analyst Ray McGovern, told Conyers and other House Democrats that the war was part of an effort to allow the United States and Israel to "dominate that part of the world," a statement Dean also condemned.


06-18-05 - Frank fires back at anti-Israel war gossip Frank said he was in and out of the hearing and did not actually hear the anti-Israel remarks. But he said he was told that Raymond McGovern, a witness, cited Israel and oil interests as major reasons for the war. McGovern is a former CIA agent.



06-18-05 - From 1995: Israel Charged With Systematic Harassment of U.S. Marines

posted by Somebody @ 9:48 AM Permanent Link 0 comments



Friday, June 17, 2005


News for 06-17-05

06-17-05 - Mission Memorial: Remembering the USS Liberty


06-17-05 - 'Rachel Has Been Always With Us In Rafah'


06-17-05 - Elderly woman dies at a military roadblock near Bethlehem


06-17-05 - Six Palestinians, two Israeli policemen wounded in West Bank clash


06-17-05 - US diplomats lay groundwork ahead of sticky Rice visit to Israel The top-selling Yediot Aharonot daily said there was some fear among the Israelis that Sharon could be pressured into making concessions as a trade-off for securing European Union aid for Iraq


06-17-05 - Rice: Israel Must Not Sabotage Peace Hopes Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Israel on Friday not to complicate the path to peace with the Palestinians through new Jewish settlements just as the date approaches for Israelis to fulfill a promise to leave other, established settlements.



06-17-05 - Rice says Palestinians must stick to ceasefire A U.S. official, who has been briefed on contacts in recent weeks between American and Israeli officials, said Sharon was hoping for a "cooling off" period that would halt moves along the roadmap for about six months after the withdrawal


06-17-05 - UN pushes Palestinians to keep cease-fire alive


06-17-05 - Peres: Israel should give PA weapons to restore order The Palestinians "are apparently facing many problems," Peres said. "The light arms are really needed in order to place law and order and to fight Hamas."


06-17-05 - UN observers to remain on Israel-Syria border


06-17-05 - Gingrich: U.S. should abandon roadmap in the quest for peace


06-17-05 - US working to raise Palestinian aid package The money would be for specific projects in Gaza, including a seaport, border crossings and other infrastructure


06-17-05 - Israel to build sea barrier near Gaza coast "There is a barrier on the ground, now a barrier on the water and tomorrow we will end up with barrier in the sky. It will not bring peace and security,"


06-17-05 - Palestinian Authority must restore rule of law and respect human rights


06-17-05 - Army to bulldoze hundreds of Dunams near Hebron The army started uprooting thre trees after barring the residents from reaching farmlands, and declared the area as a closed military zone.


06-17-05 - Rice prods Israelis, Palestinians to fulfill peace obligations But Rice also had tough words for Israeli plans to expand Jewish settlements east of Jerusalem that have drawn vocal protests from the Palestinians. "We don't intend that the Israelis try to create facts on the ground," she said. "They simply cannot engage in activities that are supposed to somehow prejudge a final status outcome."


06-17-05 - Orthodox leader demoted to monk


06-17-05 - Land Rovers deployed against civilians It has also said that it has sought and received assurances from the authorities that UK-supplied equipment is not being used against civilians.
Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, has said that Israel had breached such assurances in the past.


06-17-05 - Call for Action On the One Year Anniversary of the ICJ It is crucial to initiate a global debate around the World Bank?s plans and direct international financial support for Israel?s project of apartheid and expulsion of the Palestinian people.


06-17-05 - I am a Christian Arab-American


06-17-05 - Israeli Arabs march in memory of convicts hanged by British in 1929


06-17-05 - Israel reopens Gaza borders


06-17-05 - Jewish state idea mired in confusion "They don't say this now because it is politically incorrect and the timing is wrong, but at one point in the future, they will tell the Arabs of Israel 'we are a Jewish state, you are not Jews, therefore you should leave'."


06-17-05 - Preventing local terrorism Israeli security agents are all over this country propagandizing to our men and women in uniform.


06-17-05 - Dissing Conyers Reveals Truth: Invasion was for Israel


06-17-05 - Geoffrey Rush Joins Spielberg Project Israel needs to do some massive Hasbara, and this is one way to achieve it.


06-17-05 - 'Chicago Ten' plan $500m Gaza company

posted by Somebody @ 11:33 PM Permanent Link 0 comments




Mission Memorial: Remembering the USS Liberty

For the veterans of the USS Liberty, commemorating their fellow crew members killed in action became an all-consuming passion.

By Susan Katz Keating
On June 8, 1967, the USS Liberty was under way about 25 miles off the Gaza coast, in international waters. An old freighter-turned-intelligence ship, the Liberty clearly flew its U.S. flag while monitoring developments in the Arab-Israeli, or Six-Day, War.

At about 8 a.m., Liberty crewmen waved jaunty greetings to low-flying Israeli reconnaissance planes. Six hours later, the friendly greetings turned to frantic shouts, as Israeli fighter-bombers and torpedo boats strove mercilessly to sink the unarmed ship.

By the time the assault was over, 34 crewmen were dead. Another 171--including the ship's captain--lay wounded.

Afterward, Israel said it had mistaken the Liberty for an Egyptian warship. The surviving Liberty crewmen--and a number of U.S. government officials--believed the attack was deliberate. And yet, the issue seemed to evaporate from public consciousness. Almost as soon as it happened, the Liberty incident was cast aside--by all but the crewmen.

Remember the Liberty
In the years since the attack, Liberty survivors have steadfastly worked to create more than 30 memorials to their fallen crewmen. The memorials have taken the form of golf course tee boxes, street names, military barracks, a medical clinic and even a library. In the process, the veterans have encountered both effusive support and intense opposition. Throughout, the goal has remained unchanged: Remember the Liberty.

"The survivors still don't have all the answers to what happened," says Mike Pierson, commander of VFW Post 3699 in Indio, Calif. "But they understand each other and their purpose in dedicating these memorials."

Pierson, who did not serve onboard the ship, worked closely with Liberty survivor Don Pageler to dedicate a tree to the USS Liberty crew and Capt. William McGonagle.

As an outsider, Pierson saw not only Pageler's determination to memorialize the crew, but also learned much about the Liberty veterans and their ongoing quest. "They stayed loyal to each other, and to the men who died on the Liberty," he says. "They devoted themselves to setting up these memorials. It's been like a mission."

Going on the Offensive
The mission took shape in 1982, when survivors held their first reunion and formed the Liberty Veterans Association. Among other things, the group decided that they would memorialize the ship and her fallen crew.

One by one, the veterans took action.

Ron Kukal, who was perilously close to the point of impact when an Israeli torpedo hit the Liberty, began writing to various states and cities, requesting official proclamations honoring the
Liberty.

Bob Casale, who served on the Liberty but was not onboard during the attack, set up a commemorative display inside his business--Liberty Plumbing and Heating Supply--in Hicksville, N.Y.

Former ship's boilerman John Hrankowski persuaded reluctant officials in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to include a shipmate's name on a local war memorial.

Jim Ennes, who was an electronic materiel officer aboard the Liberty, took on Arlington National Cemetery. Ennes, the author of Assault on the Liberty, was incensed to discover that a six-man grave for Liberty dead at Arlington contained the inscription, "Died in the Eastern Mediterranean."

The inscription implied that the men were killed "in a whorehouse fire or a taxicab accident in Beirut," Ennes says. He embarked on a campaign to change the inscription to read, "Killed - USS Liberty."

"That grave was soon regarded as a memorial and was visited by the crew at each reunion," Ennes says. "Things went on from there."

However, the pursuit of remembrance has not entirely been smooth sailing.

Battle of Grafton
In 1987, the village of Grafton, Wis., decided to build a new library using only donated funds. Two brothers, Ben and Ed Grob, contributed $400,000. This entitled them to pick the library's name.

The elderly duo had read Ennes' book and were moved to honor the ship. They asked to name the new structure the USS Liberty Memorial Library.

"I was so choked up I couldn't talk," says former Grafton village president Jim Grant, a Navy veteran who knew the USS Liberty story. "I thought it was a beautiful and fitting tribute."
Grant also thought that the proposed name would not present a problem. "Well ... surprise, surprise," Grant says. "The opposition was overwhelming."

Angry outsiders falsely accused the townspeople of anti-Semitism.

"That was the disorienting part," says villager John Dickmann, who was involved in fund-raising for the library. "They tried to make it seem as if we were against the entire state of Israel because we planned to name our library after the Liberty."

"It had nothing to do with the state of Israel," Grant says. "This was a memorial to American servicemen."

The controversy dragged on for two years, during which time the Milwaukee Journal led the opposition. Protesters came in via bus from Milwaukee to disrupt the groundbreaking. Hecklers attended the dedication. Police were on hand to provide protection. But the library went up as planned and has not been the focus of further controversy.

'An Inspiration'
Elsewhere, memorials rejected by one locale enthusiastically were adopted by another.
A city in Michigan turned down the offer of a memorial stone listing crewmembers' names. Instead, because of the efforts of curator Stan Bozich, Michigan's Own Military and Space Museum in Frankenmuth welcomed the stone.

The U.S. Navy actually rejected an offer to house the USS Liberty's flag. The battle-worn colors found a home at the National Security Agency's National Cryptologic Museum at Ft. George Meade, Md., where it was made part of a display honoring the former spy ship.
"The Liberty exhibit has been one of our most popular displays," says recently retired museum curator Jack Ingram. "People tend to really look at it."

In Zimmerman, Minn., citizens eagerly chipped in to build a memorial and picnic area dedicated to the Liberty; American Legion Post 560 raised $12,000 toward the project. At Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, the USS Liberty's original commissioning plaque was made part of a park display.

Next on the agenda: placing a plaque in the home state of every Liberty crewman killed in the attack. Gary Brummett and other members of the Liberty Veterans Association board are spearheading the effort.

"Their loyalty is unwavering," the VFW's Pierson marvels. "It's an inspiration to us all."
Editor's Note: At least nine Liberty vets are VFW members, including Mark Kram, who is commander of Post 7464 in Grasonville, Md. This article would not have been possible without the special efforts of Ron Kukal and Don Pageler.

Susan Katz Keating is a free-lance writer based in Virginia.

http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.magDtl&dtl=3&mid=2639

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