Jan 12, 2011
Gaza officials, families sit in at Red Cross to promote prisoners cause
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GAZA, (PIC)-- Government representatives and families of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails joined forces Wednesday morning and sat in outside of the Red Cross offices in Gaza to show solidarity with two chief Palestinian prisoners who are continuing a hunger strike amid demands for their release from isolation. Staged by Gaza's ministry of prisoner affairs cooperating with the Wa'ed prisoner association in Gaza, demonstrators called on the Red Cross and other rights groups to treat Jamal Abu al-Haija and Ahmed Saadat and other Palestinians jailed by the Israelis as war prisoners and not criminals, and to aid them as they are slowly being killed by solitary confinement. Jamal Abu al-Haija has been isolated since he was first arrested by the Israelis and sentenced to nine life terms alongside 20 years in prison. He has also been denied family visits. Saadat has made several reappearances to solitary confinement throughout his term. The Israelis are trying to break the will of prisoners by isolating their leaders, said Palestinian MP Mohammed Shihab. He called the prison administration's stripping them of their rights and slowly killing them through solitary confinement a war crime. Wa'ed association director Sabir Abu Karesh said solitary confinement has made the captives' health conditions a source of concern for officials and families, as some of them suffer from permanent disabilities, like Abu al-Haija who has an amputated hand. |
Gaza officials, families sit in at Red Cross to promote prisoners cause
Villagers block settlers from burning fields
| [ 12/01/2011 - 03:34 PM ] |
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NABLUS, (PIC)-- Violent confrontations were reported south of Nablus city on Wednesday evening between Jewish settlers and Palestinian villagers in Assaira Al-Qabalia village. Eyewitnesses told the PIC that tens of settlers tried to storm a number of homes and to set fire to those houses and nearby fields but were prevented by Palestinian citizens who rallied to defend their homes and land. They said that a big number of Israeli occupation soldiers arrived at the scene a few hours later and arrested a Palestinian. Jewish settlers on Wednesday morning threw stones at Palestinian cars along the Nablus-Ramallah road while heading to their work. Eyewitnesses told the PIC that the settlers came from the settlement of Shilo and threw stones at any car with Palestinian plates. |
Villagers block settlers from burning fields
Full: Israel's public relations policy: never apologise, always confuse - The National
Last Updated: Jan 12, 2011
Never believe the Israeli army killed an unarmed civilian until it's officially denied. This paraphrasing of Mark Twain's "never believe anything until it has officially been denied," should become a mantra for journalists operating in the Middle East.
It is a point reinforced recently by the death of a West Bank Palestinian resident, Jawaher abu Rahmah, who died from tear gas exposure during last week's demonstration against Israel's separation wall and land annexation in the village of Bil'in.
It has become an almost predictable pattern: a Palestinian civilian is killed during a demonstration or Israeli military incursion and the evidence and witness testimony clearly demonstrates Israeli culpability. Then, military sources give farfetched and contradictory statements that become the central focus in Israeli and American media reports.
Jawaher, the 36-year-old sister of Bassem abu Rahmah - who was killed in 2009 from a high-velocity Israeli tear-gas canister fired directly at his chest - was seen by demonstrators, family members and the ambulance driver that took her to hospital, experiencing asphyxiation from a large amount of tear gas. Immediately following her death on January 1, quotes from unnamed Israeli military personnel began saturating the pro-Israel blogosphere. Statements ranging from claims that she was not at the protests and had cancer, to her being released from the hospital and later dying at home moved seamlessly from unvetted blogs to the headlines of Israeli dailies, and then into the main focus of news coverage in the American press.
Rather than make an official statement from the spokesperson's office, the Israeli military operated behind the scenes, briefing their right-wing English language activist support base to generate a counter-narrative of Palestinian conspiracy theories. Officially, the Israeli military only stated that the death needed further investigation, yet with the groundwork laid in their online networks and aided by complete disregard of journalistic ethics, Israel's widely read daily, Maariv, accused Palestinians of a "blood libel."
While the type of deflection was a display of public relations in the age of new media, the substance of the Israeli military's response was part of a well-established strategy of misinformation and victim blaming designed to obscure the reality of the situation. Rather than try and make a case of legitimacy when it's difficult to do so, the Israeli military's PR campaign has been one of saturating the media with so many conflicting reports, innuendos and outright lies that the public doesn't know what to believe and the main story is lost, effectively absolving the army.
This style of weathering scrutiny has marked some of Israel's most controversial killings: from the death of 12-year-old Muhammad al Durrha in Gaza in 2000 - who the army first accepted responsibility for shooting and then withdrew it in 2007 amid a manufactured controversy - to its defense of killing activists on the Gaza aid flotilla in May of last year. It has also underscored how Israel has avoided being held accountable in a series of highly questionable killings such as the death of two Palestinian farm boys in the village of Awarta, near the West Bank city of Nablus in March of last year.
By most testimonies from villagers, the boys were working their fields near an Israeli settlement when they were detained by the army. Moments later, shots were fired and the boys arrived at hospital, riddled with bullets in what appeared to be a straight execution. However, when it was reported, the army and settlement council had put out multiple contradicting versions of events that ultimately buried the story and any investigation.
Underscoring this PR strategy is the assumption that Israelis are always more credible than Palestinians, regardless of who they are or the facts. It is a position based on the assumption that Palestinian claims are based on unstated nefarious intentions, while Israeli positions are fact. This creates a context where the medical explanation by Jawaher abu Rahmah's doctor is presented as propagandised hyperbole, while the baseless, self-interested claims of the Israeli military are accepted as legitimate.
While this style of military information warfare is clearly exposed and condemned in western press coverage from Honduras to the Ivory Coast, where military claims are taken with significant doubt, what is surprising is the legitimacy that the Israeli military is granted by media at home and abroad.
It is this bestowing of false legitimacy that helps make sustainable what is otherwise an unsustainable military occupation.
Jesse Rosenfeld has been a freelance journalist based in Ramallah and Tel Aviv since 2007. Joseph Dana is a journalist and human rights advocate based in Jerusalem
Full: Israel's public relations policy: never apologise, always confuse - The National
Jan 11, 2011
Municipality demolishes Palestinian shopfront outside Old City « Wadi Hilweh Information Center – Silwan, Jerusalem
Tuesday, 11 January, 2011 | 23:15
Municipality demolishes Palestinian shopfront outside Old City « Wadi Hilweh Information Center – Silwan, Jerusalem
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- The Jerusalem Municipality demolished a Palestinian kiosk in Sultan Street, outside Herod’s Gate of the Old City, this morning. Kiosk manager Wa’el Razem was not issued prior warning of the demolition, carried out by a large joint force of Israeli military special forces and Municipality workers. The shopfront was dismantled and its contents confiscated.
Officers informed Razem that a demolition order, or prior warning, was not legally required for the operation. Razem estimated that the loss of the 20 square meter kiosk, which has been in operation for 11 years, has lost him approximately 150,000 NIS. The income earnt from the kiosk has supported not only Razem but 30 of his family members since its opening.
Municipality demolishes Palestinian shopfront outside Old City « Wadi Hilweh Information Center – Silwan, Jerusalem
Int'l campaign: Israeli arrest of MP Abdelrazeq an act of piracy
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GAZA, (PIC)-- The Gaza-based international campaign to free detained MPs in Israeli occupation jails warned Tuesday of a rise in "piracy" against Palestinian legal figures as the Israelis arrested for the second time Palestinian MP Omar Abdelrazeq earlier the same morning. Israel arrested Change and Reform bloc representative Omar Abdelrazeq from his Salfit home on Tuesday, locals reported. Abdelrazeq has earned a doctorate in economics and served as Minister of Finance in the tenth Palestinian government. He was taken previously in an arrest campaign targeting Change and Reform bloc representatives and released after 32 months in captivity. The campaign said Israel is determined to silence Palestinian politicians through consecutive arrests and persecution. Representatives Hatem Qufaisha, Mahmoud al-Ramahi, Nayef al-Rajoub, Mohammed al-Tal, and Khalil al-Rib'i have all been re-detained recently. Most of them were arrested on flimsy accusations and then held for six months under administrative detention while the prosecutor searched for real charges. When he had not found any, their prison terms were extended administratively. The campaign called for legal action to be taken against Israel over its violations of international values and norms. |
Int'l campaign: Israeli arrest of MP Abdelrazeq an act of piracy
Barhoum: West Bank is governed by a multi-national authority | Blackwater in WB « 63 Years Occupation is Enough | فلسطين
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| GAZA, (PIC)– Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Tuesday that the US’s hiring of the infamous Blackwater firm for security services in the West Bank is a new scandal to add to the list of conspiracies between the Fatah-controlled PA in Ramallah, the CIA, and Israel. The move confirms that the West Bank is governed by a multi-national authority aimed at protecting Israel and “liquidating” the defenders of the Palestinian cause, Barhoum told the Palestinian Information Center. The new scandal came in conspiracy between the West Bank-ruling Fatah party, American intelligence, and Israel to crack down on resistance forces in the West Bank. Barhoum called on Fatah to “harmonize” with the Palestinians, who wish to purge the land of foreign authorities and the Israeli occupation, and to launch a new strategy based on a national project and not an Israel-US project. The US State Department awarded a subsidiary company of the formerly named Blackwater security company an 84 million dollars a year contract to provide security services to the West Bank over the next five years. Observers are questioning the reason for the firm’s services in the West Bank. |
Barhoum: West Bank is governed by a multi-national authority | Blackwater in WB « 63 Years Occupation is Enough | فلسطين
Prisoners' Rights Group Calls for Release of Five Hamas Men from Israeli Custody - International Middle East Media Center
Tuesday January 11, 2011 12:20
by Ramona M. - IMEMC and Agencies 
Prisoners' Rights Group Calls for Release of Five Hamas Men from Israeli Custody - International Middle East Media Center
by Ramona M. - IMEMC and Agencies Lawyers from Addameer, the Palestinian prisoner's rights group, visited three of the five Hamas men detained by Israeli forces during a deadly raid on Hebron last week, and called for their immediate release.
Israeli Prison Photo: www.alternativenews.org
According to a statement released by Addameer, prisoners were stripped, beaten and denied access to food and water in the day following their arrest. As a result, they were all being kept in the prison hospital because of their fragile health conditions due to their treatment.
Addameer took affidavits from the three men, Wael Al-Bitar, Majdi E’beid, Muhand Neirukh. They are all being held in Israel's Ramleh Prison Hospital, where they were taken after their arrest.
Previously, the men had been imprisoned by the Palestinian Authority on "security charges" and had not been sentenced. The Palestinian Authority initially released the men due to pressure from Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip, Damascus and an inquiry from the Emir of Qatar. The PA gave a warning that the men were wanted by Israel and could not guarantee their security following their release.
The men had also been on a hunger strike for 45-50 days prior to their release.
According to the affidavits taken by Addameer’s lawyer, the arrest raids did not take into consideration their critical medical condition resulting from their hunger strike, observing that most of the prisoners did not have time to visit a doctor between the time of their release from Palestinian prison and their arrest by Israeli forces.
According to one of the prisoners, Muhand Neirukh, during the Israeli interrogation, he was beaten, forced to strip, handcuffed and blindfolded before being made to stand in the cold for many hours without a coat.
Majdi E’beid, was reportedly taken to the Hadassah Hospital in Ein Karem after fainting during his arrest, then was made to sit outside the hospital in the cold for five hours after his medical examination.
Two of the five were also said to have been denied food or water until they arrived at Ramleh Prison Hospital more than 10 hours after their arrest.
Following the visit, Addameer issued a statement demanding the release of the five men detained, "as required by the Palestinian High Court of Justice" and said it "holds the Israeli authorities fully responsible for their lives."
In the home of Wael Al-Bitar, soldiers entered the wrong apartment and shot to death his sleeping uncle. While the military said it "regrets" the error, officials questioned why soldiers opened fire on a sleeping man if they meant to detain Al-Bitar.
Prisoners' Rights Group Calls for Release of Five Hamas Men from Israeli Custody - International Middle East Media Center
Ofter Military Court sentences Abdallah Abu Rahmah to 16 months in prison | Arabic & English « 63 Years Occupation is Enough | فلسطين
January 11, 2011 — occupiedpalestine | Edit
Ofter Military Court sentences Abdallah Abu Rahmah to 16 months in prison | Arabic & English « 63 Years Occupation is Enough | فلسطين
11/1/2011
Ofer – Ramallah: On Tuesday, the Israeli military court at Ofer sentenced Abdallah Abu Rahmah, the coordinator of the Popular Committee for Resisting the Wall and Settlements in Bil’in, to effectively 16 months in prison, in addition to a six month suspended sentence for a period of three years and a 5,000 NIS fine.
Abu Rahmah was charged with organizing and leading popular demonstrations, inciting to throw stones, participating in throwing stones at Occupation soldiers, and participating in demonstrations described as illegal and un-permitted by the pronouncement of the judge. He had been sentenced to a year in prison previously, and it was assumed that he would have been released on November 18, 2010. But building on the request of the military prosecutor, he was detained so as to increase his punishment because the village of Bil’in continued its weekly demonstrations. His punishment is meant to act as a deterrent for others that might follow in his footsteps, according to the claims of the military prosecutor, and end the spread of the popular resistance to the remaining areas damaged by the Wall and settlements in the West Bank.
The hearing occurred with the attendance of 24 diplomats and consuls along with Israeli and international peace activists led by Luisa Morgantini, the previous Vice President of the European Parliament. Among those in attendance were the French Consular General, diplomats from the European Union, Britain, Spain, Malta, Germany, Sweden, Austria, along with Abdullah’s wife and his brotherDr. Rateb Abu Rahmah, who expressed their support for Abu Rahmah and the popular struggle of Bil’in against the building of the Wall.
After the ruling, Abdullah Abu Rahmah expressed that he did not recognize the court, as it is an Occupation court and an illegal, illegitimate kangaroo court, and that the ruling was a political ruling. He stressed that it was necessary to try the Occupation and its soldiers for their ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people, the latest of which was the killing of Jawaher Abu Rahmah during a peaceful march, the killing of the elderly Qawasimi in his bed, and the killing of al Muslumani and Masudi at the Hamra checkpoint in cold blood. This ruling will not dissuade him, or the people of Bil’in and all the popular resistance activists, from continuing on against the Wall and settlements.
The Popular Committee for Resisting the Wall and Settlements in Bil’in condemned the ruling against the coordinator of the Popular Committee, considering it unjust to the human rights activist defending his land stolen by the Occupation. They consider his struggle legitimate and legal against the illegal, illegitimate Wall, appealing to the international community and international rights organizations to stand beside Abdallah Abu Rahmah and demand his release.
For more information:
D. Rateb Abu Rahmeh
media coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall, settlements Campaign \ Bil’in
0597117673
saborahmeh42@yahoo.com
محكمة عوفر العسكرية تحكم على الأخ عبد الله أبو رحمة بالسجن لمدة 16 شهرا
11/1/2011
عوفر -رام الله : حكمت محكمة عوفر العسكرية الإسرائيلية، اليوم الثلاثاء على منسق اللجنة الشعبية لمقاومة الجدار والاستيطان في بلعين الأخ عبد لله أبو رحمة ، بالسجن لمدة 16 شهرا فعليا، إضافة لستة شهور مع وقف التنفيذ لمدة ثلاثة أعوام، وغرامة مالية بقيمة خمسة آلاف شيقل.
بتهمة تنظيم وقيادة المظاهرات الشعبية، واالتحريض على ضرب الحجارة والمشاركة بضرب الحجارة علىجنود الاحتلال، والمشاركة في مظاهرات وصفت بالغير قانونية وغير المرخصة ” على حد نطق قاضي المحكمة، وكان قد حكم عليه سابقا بالسجن لمدة عام وكان من المفترض ان يطلق سراحه في 18 نوفمبر2010، ولكن وبناء على طلب النيابة العسكرية تم احتجازه لرفع عقوبته بسبب استمرار قرية بلعين في المسيرات الاسبوعية ، ولتكون عقوبته رادعة للاخرين الذين يسيرون على خطاه حسب -ادعاء النيابة العسكرية- وعدم انتشار المقاومة الشعبية الى باقي المواقع المتضررة من الجدار والاستيطان في الضفة الغربية
وجرت الجلسة وسط حضور 24 من الدبلوماسيين والقناصل ونشطاء السلام الإسرائيليين والدوليين وكان على رأسهم لويزا مورغنتيني نائب رئيس البرلمان الاوروبي سابقا، والقنصل الفرنسي العام، ودبلوماسيين من الاتحاد الاوروبي، وبريطانيا واسبانيا ومالطا والمانيا والنمسا، وزوجته وشقيقه راتب ابورحمة، الذين عبروا عن دعمهم لأبو رحمة ونضال بلعين الشعبي السلمي ضد بناء الجدار.
وعبر عبدالله ابورحمه بعد قرار الحكم على عدم الاعتراف بهذه المحكمة لانها محكمة احتلال وهي محكمة صورية وغير قانونية وغير شرعية وان قرار الحكم هو قرار سياسي، وأكد أن الذي يجب ان يحاكم فهو الاحتلال وجنوده على جرائمهم المتواصلة بحق ابناء شعبنا الفلسطيني، والذي كان آخرها قتل جواهر ابورحمه وهي في مسيرة سلمية، والمسن القواسمي في فراشه، والمسلماني ومسودى على حاجز الحمرا بدم بارد. وان هذا الحكم لن يثنيه هو وأهالي قرية بلعين وكافة نشطاء المقاومة الشعبية عن مواصلة المسير ضد الاستيطان والجدار.
واستنكرت اللجنة الشعبية لمقاومة الجدار والاستيطان في بلعين قرار الحكم بحق منسق اللجنة الشعبية لمقاومة الجدار والاستيطان في بلعين وتعتبره مجحف بحق الناشط في حقوق الانسان والمدافع عن ارضه التي سلبت من قبل الاحتلال وتعتبر نضاله شرعي وقانوني ضد جدار غير شرعي وغير قانوني. مناشدة المجتمع الدولي والمؤسسات الحقوقية الدولية للوقوف بجانب عبدالله ابو رحمه والمطالبة بطلاق سراحه.
لمزيد من المعلومات مراجعة:
د. راتب أبو رحمة – المنسق الاعلامي للحملة الشعبية لمقاومة الجدار والاستيطان \ بلعين 0597117673
saborahmeh42@yahoo.com
Ofter Military Court sentences Abdallah Abu Rahmah to 16 months in prison | Arabic & English « 63 Years Occupation is Enough | فلسطين
Army Demolishes A Home Near Qalqilia - International Middle East Media Center
Tuesday January 11, 2011 11:37 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies
Army Demolishes A Home Near Qalqilia - International Middle East Media Center
by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies The Israeli Authorities demolished, on Tuesday morning, a home in Azzoun Atma village, near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, under the pretext of being constructed without a construction permit.
The demolished building belongs resident Mo’een Younis; his 130-square-meter building was constructed eight years ago.
Six months ago, Israel demolished a structure used by Younis as a chicken farm, his only source of income.
After demolishing his home on Tuesday, Younis said “Today, the occupation came to fulfill its plan, to demolish my home, my long awaited dream of a home”.
The village is isolated by the Israeli Annexation Wall that was deemed illegal by the International Court in the Hague.
The village, and a number of nearby villages, lost more than 40.000 Dunams of land for illegal Israeli settlements.
The Annexation Wall isolated 700 Dunams of land that belong to residents of Azzoun Atma as well as from the villages of Beit Amin and Sanniriyya.
Army Demolishes A Home Near Qalqilia - International Middle East Media Center
European diplomats recommend punitive action against Israel
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OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- European diplomats in Jerusalem have filed a report recommending that the EU takes punitive measures against Israel and recognize east Jerusalem as a capital for the Palestinians. The diplomats, mostly general consuls to Jerusalem, after assessing the situation in the eastern part of the holy city called developments in the last few years "negative" in light of continued Jewish settlement activity, Palestinian home demolitions and evictions, and inequality in educational and medical services provided to the Palestinian makeup of the city. The document says that the government's cooperation with such groups as the Elad settlement association in archaeological excavations in the Silwan district is conclusive evidence that Israel is backing settlement activity in east Jerusalem. The European diplomats recommended that EU politicians boycott Israeli ministries beyond the Green Line and products from east Jerusalem and other settlements as well as blacklist "violent settlers" in European countries. In a similar development, the EU consuls are proposing that international observers be assigned to monitor Israeli demolition operations targeting Palestinian-owned structures in east Jerusalem. High-profile Israeli politicians have stated that Israel will not allow European observers to monitor demolitions in east Jerusalem. The move came in the wake of the demolition of the Palestinian-owned Shepherd Hotel in Sheikh Jarrah. After Israel conquered and annexed East Jerusalem in 1967, a government agency, the Custodian of Absentee Property, took possession of the building. In the mid-1980s, it was sold to a corporation owned by American millionaire Irving Moskowitz, the financial angel of far-right Israeli groups intent on settling Jews in Palestinian neighborhoods inside and encircling the Old City. |
European diplomats recommend punitive action against Israel
Palestinian Legislator Kidnapped In Salfit - International Middle East Media Center
Tuesday January 11, 2011 09:55 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies Israeli soldiers kidnapped in Salfit, on Tuesday at dawn, Palestinian legislator of the Hamas Change and Reform Bloc, Dr. Omar Abdul-Raziq, who also served as the Finance Minister of the Hamas-led government in 2006.
Dr. Omar Abdul-Raziq - Ramattan
The legislator was kidnapped after the army broke into his home in the central West Bank city of Salfit.
Soldiers searched the home of Abdul-Raziq, his office and confiscated his personal computer and mobile phone.
In December of last year, Israeli soldiers kidnapped three Hamas legislators in the West Bank. The three were identified as Nayef Rajoub, Mohammad Al Til and Khalil Al Raba’ey, all from the Hebron District.
The Ahrar Center for Detainees Studies and Human Rights slammed the kidnapping of elected legislators and officials and added that Israel is apparently planning another massive arrest of elected officials.
Palestinian Legislator Kidnapped In Salfit - International Middle East Media Center
Bahar: Israeli escalation reflects internal crisis
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GAZA, (PIC)-- Dr. Ahmed Bahar, the first deputy speaker of the Palestinian legislative council, has said that the Israeli military escalation against the Gaza Strip reflected an internal crisis. He said in a press release on Monday that the escalation was meant to create justifications for targeting "steadfast Gaza, its resolute people, and brave resistance". Any Israeli onslaught against the Strip would be met with steadfastness and patience, Bahar affirmed, adding that the Israeli aggression would end up in more Palestinian belief in justice of their cause, more unity and readiness to confront all challenges. The Israeli war machine might kill and destroy but would never be able to break the will or weaken the determination of the people's insistence on their national rights and legitimate constants, Bahar concluded. |
Bahar: Israeli escalation reflects internal crisis
Netanyahu’s Office Issues Statement Defending Demolition Of East Jerusalem Hotel - International Middle East Media Center
Tuesday January 11, 2011 07:52 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies
Netanyahu’s Office Issues Statement Defending Demolition Of East Jerusalem Hotel - International Middle East Media Center
by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies The office of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued an official statement defending the demolition of East Jerusalem Arab Hotel “Shepherd”, and challenging international condemnations in this regard.
Image by The Alternative Information Center AIC
The Hotel, located in Sheikh Jarrah Arab neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, was demolished by Israel on Sunday.
In the statement, Netanyahu said that Jews must be encouraged to buy property in East Jerusalem, and should be allowed to rent or buy property especially in neighborhoods that have Jewish majority.
He added that “nobody should expect Israel to prevent the Jews from buying private property in Jerusalem”.
“There isn’t a single democratic government in the world that has ever prevented the Jews from buying property”, Netanyahu said, “Nobody should expect Israel to start doing that”.
The Hotel is owned by members of the Al Husseini family, an Arab-Palestinian family, indigenous to East Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, EU Foreign Chief, Catharine Ashton, slammed the demolition of the hotel and stated that the European Union considers all Israeli settlements illegal.
In her statement, Ashton said that Israel demolished the hotel in order to build a new illegal settlement.
She added that settlements jeopardize the efforts to resume the peace process, and that East Jerusalem is part of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967, and that the EU does not recognize the annexation of the city.
U.S Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, stated that the demolition of the hotel harms the peace process and described it as a “worrisome development”.
Spokesperson of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Yigal Palmor, told the France Press that describing Jerusalem as a settlement is a “misunderstanding”, and an “insult to the history of the city”.
Palmor claimed that the hotel was built on a private property, and that “diplomacy has nothing to do with the issue”.
The British Consulate Jerusalem, located close to where the hotel stood, issued a statement condemning the demolition and describing it’s as a provocation.
It said that such measures obstruct the efforts to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and could lead to “unnecessary repercussions and tension”.
Netanyahu’s Office Issues Statement Defending Demolition Of East Jerusalem Hotel - International Middle East Media Center
Wall around Qalqiliya area / Le Mur dans la region de Qalqiliya, 08.01.2011 at PS.HADNEWS.COM
(c) Anne Paq/Activestills, around Qalkiliya, 08.01.2011
It is all about light isn't it? I don't speak about the Wall...the Wall is all about the dark side of the moon, or rather the dark side of humankind. It is ugly and stays ugly howvever decorated by some graffitti or the light.
Photography requires a lot of patience and looking at the sky, searching for the light. I was lucky to get some amazing light between some rains this Saturday. Happy from the pictures, but not so happy about what I saw...The Wall still emprisons Qalqiliya. I was also sad when I went back to Wadi rasha, a beautiful small village now under the shadow of the Wall. In some areas, the Wall was moved following some Court order. The scars are still there, it will take years before anything grows in these desolated areas. The Palestinians have replanted as I saw in Jayyus. They always do.
C'est avant tout une question de lumiere n'est-ce pas? Je ne parle pas du Mur ... le Mur restera toujours du côté sombre de la lune, ou plutôt du côté sombre de l'humanité. Il est moche et reste laid même lorsqu'il décoré par des graffitis ou la lumière.
La Photographie exige beaucoup de patience et de regarder le ciel a la recherche de la lumière. Ce samedi, j'ai eu la chance d'obtenir des lumières étonnantes et incroyables entre les averses. Je suis heureuse des photos, mais pas heureuse de ce que j'ai vu ... Le Mur encore emprisonne encore Qalqiliya, une ville de 50,000 habitants. J'ai également été triste quand je suis retournée à Wadi Rasha, un beau petit village maintenant à l'ombre du Mur. Dans certaines régions, le Mur a été déplacé après quelques décisions de la Cour Suprême israélienne. Les cicatrices sont toujours là, il faudra des années avant que quelque chose ne repousse sur les terrains qui auparavant étaient traverses par le Mur. Les Palestiniens ont replanté, comme je l'ai vu à Jayyous. Ils le font toujours.
Source: Chroniques de palestine
Wall around Qalqiliya area / Le Mur dans la region de Qalqiliya, 08.01.2011 at PS.HADNEWS.COM
Elderly Man Killed By Israeli Army Fire In Northern Gaza - International Middle East Media Center
Tuesday January 11, 2011 07:02 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies
Elderly Man Killed By Israeli Army Fire In Northern Gaza - International Middle East Media Center
by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies Palestinian medical sources reported on Monday afternoon that an elderly Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli army fire in northern Gaza.
The man was identified as Sha’ban Shaker Al Qarmout, 65. He was killed when the army opened fire at agricultural lands in Beit Hanoun, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The body of the slain man was moved to Kamal Odwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, also in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
In related news, Israeli troops carried out a limited invasion into Khuza’a town, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
Eyewitnesses reported that several tanks and armored vehicles advanced nearly 300 meters into farmlands close to the “security fence” between the Gaza Strip and Israel. No clashes or injuries were reported.
Elderly Man Killed By Israeli Army Fire In Northern Gaza - International Middle East Media Center
Jan 10, 2011
Applications Now Available for US Boat to Gaza - Salem-News.Com
Jan-10-2011 18:46
Applications Now Available for US Boat to Gaza - Salem-News.Com
Applications Now Available for US Boat to Gaza
Salem-News.com"Whether you will sail on the boat or remain on land, we hope we can count on your continued engagement and support before, during, and especially after the journey..."
 Learn more, visit: WWW.USTOGAZA.ORG |
(NEW YORK) - The people behind the US Boat to Gaza wish readers a Happy 2011 as they offer thanks in advance for support of this critical mission. "With your help and participation, we will sail a U.S.-flagged ship, The Audacity of Hope, to break the U.S.-backed Israeli blockade of Gaza this spring," the group stated in a news release.
"We are writing to let you know, in case you don't already, that application forms for those wishing to be considered as prospective passengers on The Audacity of Hope are available. Instructions for requesting an application form are on our website, ustogaza.org."
Completed applications must be received by email no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on 15 January 2010 -- the signed notarized hard copy must be received at our post office box by 22 January.
The release states, "Being a passenger on the boat is not for everyone, and we urge you to think carefully about the risks and benefits before making the decision to apply. Please know that each completed application will receive careful consideration - and also know that we will only be able to accept a small percentage of the applications we anticipate receiving.
"Whether you will sail on the boat or remain on land, we hope we can count on your continued engagement and support before, during, and especially after the journey.
"Our Outreach Committee is working to build a nationwide network of activists who will help keep the U.S. Boat visible in the months before the voyage, through teach-ins, film screenings and other events on campuses and in communities across the country.
"If you are willing to be part of that effort in some way, please email us at ustogaza@gmail.com -- we will put you in touch with others in your area who are organizing as part of the U.S. Boat's growing national team.
"For peace with justice,"
U.S. TO GAZA
GET ON BOARD THE U.S. TO GAZA CAMPAIGN
VISIT WWW.USTOGAZA.ORG TO ENDORSE AND CONTRIBUTE
Thank you for your support.
_________________________________
Source: News release from US Boat to Gaza
Applications Now Available for US Boat to Gaza - Salem-News.Com
Applications Now Available for US Boat to Gaza - Salem-News.Com
Jan-10-2011 18:46
Applications Now Available for US Boat to Gaza - Salem-News.Com
Applications Now Available for US Boat to Gaza
Salem-News.com"Whether you will sail on the boat or remain on land, we hope we can count on your continued engagement and support before, during, and especially after the journey..."
| Learn more, visit: WWW.USTOGAZA.ORG |
(NEW YORK) - The people behind the US Boat to Gaza wish readers a Happy 2011 as they offer thanks in advance for support of this critical mission. "With your help and participation, we will sail a U.S.-flagged ship, The Audacity of Hope, to break the U.S.-backed Israeli blockade of Gaza this spring," the group stated in a news release.
"We are writing to let you know, in case you don't already, that application forms for those wishing to be considered as prospective passengers on The Audacity of Hope are available. Instructions for requesting an application form are on our website, ustogaza.org."
Completed applications must be received by email no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on 15 January 2010 -- the signed notarized hard copy must be received at our post office box by 22 January.
The release states, "Being a passenger on the boat is not for everyone, and we urge you to think carefully about the risks and benefits before making the decision to apply. Please know that each completed application will receive careful consideration - and also know that we will only be able to accept a small percentage of the applications we anticipate receiving.
"Whether you will sail on the boat or remain on land, we hope we can count on your continued engagement and support before, during, and especially after the journey.
"Our Outreach Committee is working to build a nationwide network of activists who will help keep the U.S. Boat visible in the months before the voyage, through teach-ins, film screenings and other events on campuses and in communities across the country.
"If you are willing to be part of that effort in some way, please email us at ustogaza@gmail.com -- we will put you in touch with others in your area who are organizing as part of the U.S. Boat's growing national team.
"For peace with justice,"
U.S. TO GAZA
GET ON BOARD THE U.S. TO GAZA CAMPAIGN
VISIT WWW.USTOGAZA.ORG TO ENDORSE AND CONTRIBUTE
Thank you for your support.
_________________________________
Source: News release from US Boat to Gaza
Applications Now Available for US Boat to Gaza - Salem-News.Com
EU Proposes Help To Palestinians In East Jerusalem - International Middle East Media Center
Monday January 10, 2011 18:02 by Alessandra Bajec - IMEMC & Agencies
EU Proposes Help To Palestinians In East Jerusalem - International Middle East Media Center
by Alessandra Bajec - IMEMC & Agencies In a new confidential report published by The Independent on Monday, the European Union proposed having EU officials observe at sites of imminent house demolitions or evictions in East Jerusalem, and to step in when non-violent Palestinians are arrested.
(photo from http://www.france24.com)
The 25 EU Consuls General in Jerusalem prepared the proposal in a move to strengthen the EU's support for the rights of Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem.
The EU top officials warned that Jewish settlement activity in East Jerusalem is jeopardizing the two-state solution to the conflict in the region. They also argued that the Palestinian population in the city is being systematically undermined as a result of Israel’s annexation.
They suggested that they should not only be present when demolition or eviction operations are carried, out but also attend court hearings in this regard, and to "ensure EU intervention when Palestinians are arrested or intimidated by Israeli authorities for peaceful cultural, social or political activities in East Jerusalem".
The Consuls urged for boycotting all settlement products and goods, and indicated that they would refuse to be escorted by Israeli security officers when touring in the Old City and other parts of occupied East Jerusalem. They also urged their governments to consider East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, and to refrain from holding meetings with Israeli government officials in East Jerusalem.
The document also states that the daily life of the Palestinian people is directly impacted by the Israel’s policies towards East Jerusalem. – including settlement activities as well as "restrictive zoning and planning in the Arab areas, ongoing demolitions and evictions of Palestinian homes, in addition to Israel's inequitable education policy.
It added that the Palestinian face enormous difficulties in accessing health care in the city, and are facing inadequate provision of resources and investment".
On the ground, plans to destroy illegal homes in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras Al-Amoud were reported on Monday morning. Although the police confirmed sending forces to carry out the demolition, the municipality did not confirm that it was preparing to implement any demolition orders.
The newly released report comes on the heels of the EU’s strong reaction to Sunday’s demolition of Shepherd Hotel in Sheilah Jarrah neighborhood to make way for an illegal settlement in occupied East Jerusalem.
EU Foreign Affairs Chief, Catherine Ashton, denounced settlement activities, and stated that the construction of settlements “undermines trust between Israel and the Palestinians, and constitutes an obstacle to peace."
She reiterated the EU stance and said that "the EU does not recognize the annexation of East Jerusalem by Israel", and expressed concern over recent violence in the West Bank.
EU Proposes Help To Palestinians In East Jerusalem - International Middle East Media Center
PressTV - Palestinians in Gaza face health crisis
A Palestinian child lies in the dialysis room of a hospital in the Gaza City in the north of the Gaza Strip, June 8, 2010.
The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip warns of a health crisis as the impoverished enclave is running out of direly needed medicine.
The ministry warned that dozens of chronically-ill patients, especially those with cancer and kidney problems, could die soon, if they do not receive medicine.
The officials said its storages suffered 40-percent depletion, the Palestinian Ma'an news agency reported on Sunday.
They said the coastal sliver is facing a lack of medication for leukemia, blood problems, epilepsy, thalassemia and maternal health problems.
The ministry also expressed concerns that the stock of insulin and kidney dialysis fluid in Gaza's hospitals and health centers could run out within days.
The crippling land, aerial and naval blockade imposed by Israel on the coastal sliver has also restricted the movement of people out of Gaza.
A coalition of 22 international NGOs and human rights groups said in late November that the system for issuing the patients exit permits were arbitrary, unpredictable and time consuming, a Press TV correspondent recently reported. Many die, while on the waiting list, he added.
The ministry blames the situation on the Palestinian Authority for refusing to send enough medical supplies to the Gaza Strip.
HN/MRS/MGH
PressTV - Palestinians in Gaza face health crisis
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