And other news from Today in Palestine:
Land theft and destruction/Ethnic cleansing
Akiva Eldar / West Bank outsposts are growing ‘under the state’s nose’
If the state’s claim that it is taking care of illegal building in outposts sounds familiar, it’s because it’s just the same old pabulum they’ve fed us before.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/akiva-eldar-west-bank-outsposts-are-growing-under-the-state-s-nose-1.298877?localLinksEnabled=false
Razing of Palestinian homes in E. Jerusalem approved despite 250 shortfalls in plan
Documents obtained by Haaretz suggest that the plan to raze 22 Palestinian homes in Silwan to make room for tourist center was not ready to be approved by planning committee, but was rushed by Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/razing-of-palestinian-homes-in-e-jerusalem-approved-despite-250-shortfalls-in-plan-1.298826?localLinksEnabled=false
Barred from Jerusalem for crime of being Palestinian
To say that Palestinian Murad Al-Khalaf’s roots are in Jerusalem is a serious understatement. His family lived in the Baka district of West Jerusalem until they were forced to leave in the war of 1948. They have since lived – and live – in the inner East Jerusalem district of Ras al-Amud. His family doctor father’s clinic in East Jerusalem’s main street of Salahadin is opposite three shops owned by each of his uncles. One of his brothers, also a doctor, works at one of Jerusalem’s two main (Israeli) hospitals, the Shaare Zedek Medical Centre. The city is, in short, his home.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/barred-from-jerusalem-for-crime-of-being-palestinian-2013066.html
Barghouthi: Jerusalem Master Plan To Erase Palestinian Existence From The City
Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative strongly condemned the new Master plan, which is set to be approved by the Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee. The document calls for the expansion of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem, on privately owned Arab property.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1466
Solidarity/Activism/Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment
Gaza Freedom Graffiti in the Warsaw Ghetto
Yesterday, Israeli and Polish activists met in the ruins of Warsaw’s old Jewish Ghetto. The activists sprayed ‘Liberate All Ghettos’ in Hebrew, followed by ‘Free Gaza and Palestine’ in English on a wall of an original block in the ghetto. The block is across the street from the last fragment of the remaining perimeter wall of the Ghetto. They also hung Palestinian flags from the wall. This was first time such an action took place in the ghetto.
http://www.kampania-palestyna.pl/index.php/2010/06/29/gaza-freedom-graffiti-in-the-warsaw-ghetto/
Hagit Ofran in Silwan: “This time it sounded serious”
Hagit Ofran of Peace Now is one of the Israeli experts on the settlements her compatriots are building in the West Bank [including East Jerusalem]. Hearing from Silwan on Sunday evening about the escalating clashes there, she went to see what was happening, and then posted her account, complete with photos and a video, on her blog, Eyes on the Ground in East Jerusalem.
http://un-truth.com/israel/hagit-ofran-in-silwan-this-time-it-sounded-serious
Zahhar: “Eight Ships Heading To Gaza In Coming Months”
Hamas political leader, Mahmoud Zahhar, stated that there are at least eight solidarity ships that would be heading to the Gaza Strip in the coming two months.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59024
Yemeni activists organize biggest local flotilla for Gaza
A number of Islamic activists in Yemen announced the initiation of a fund-raising campaign to organize the biggest Yemeni fleet to break the siege on Gaza.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7mwDveSAxop%2fiJF12n9LG7LyfAApt8e7zma5nR4ODuvth%2fAmKkZlE6t2nhHgJjOBB5xnlAmgOcFQxHpaLEuTuiUFfmv38u5CsE5DLxBb%2foyk%3d
Galloway: Lifeline 4 will participate in the world’s largest aid convoy to Gaza
Head of Viva Palestina George Galloway stated that his Lifeline 4 would join other convoys to form the world’s largest ever aid convoy that would head for the besieged Gaza Strip in mid-September.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7vWc6MjIAscE8XotCbubAk6BVvZ4NYDOMgYvs1HrNleBU3GRuhav4NRIZLgK8hhoftPd8JrdgGlj3ba9h5w9f1s0ksrydd9AMbglIxBjgI%2b0%3d
Call Rod Stewart to cancel upcoming concert in Israel
Later this week, singer Rod Stewart is scheduled to perform a concert in Israel. Nevertheless, in 2005, Palestinian civil society called for cultural boycott of Israel until Israel respects its obligations under international law. Santana, Elvis Costello, The Pixies and other prominent performers have recently cancelled concerts in Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian call. Please send an email asking Rod Stewart to cancel his upcoming concert.
http://www.cjpme.ca/action_rod_stewart_2010_06.shtml
Kevin Neish was on board the Mavi Marmara
Every day people die from a preventable disease called injustice. Innocent men, women and children succumb to the symptoms of this disease which include poor living conditions, political persecution and war. People who live in positions of privilege can look away, or stand by idly and watch, or they can do something to ease or end this unnecessary suffering. 53-year-old Canadian Kevin Neish does not look away or stand by idly. Throughout his life this soft-spoken, middle class, retired engineer and activist has been unable to witness innocent people suffering without trying to do something to end it. He doesn’t enjoy the merits that fame bestows upon political leaders or noted intellectuals that people consider heroes, but he probably doesn’t mind much either.
http://pulsemedia.org/2010/06/28/kevin-neish-was-on-board-the-mavi-marmara/
Palestinian boycott of Israeli settlement goods starts to bite
Campaign to clear supermarket shelves of West Bank settlement wares forces Israeli factories to cut production.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/29/palestinian-boycott-israeli-settlement-goods
Violence and Aggression
Gaza: 1 killed, 3 injured in Israeli air strike
Gaza – Ma’an – One Palestinian was killed and three others were injured in an Israeli air strike along the northern Gaza border on Monday evening, east of a juice factory, medics said. Witnesses said an Israeli drone fired at Palestinian fighters in the north-eastern Ash-Shuja’iyah neighborhood.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295347
Israeli forces storm Ramleh prison hospital
An elite Israeli special forces unit called Masada stormed the Ramleh hospital prison and assaulted sick prisoners and damaged their property, the Ahrar Center said.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7moBy6eojj01nmCBJ2Xn3hWa6EvEYh1c2dA%2fQKnB7v3TUYcCpOf9Z4XH4zSLHNMMuq1Wqc44OeKRoXUBGIHVa9jXIvjbh9MBcwFXfvg%2bui%2bs%3d
Nameless Palestinian Detainees: over 650,000 detained since 1967 and counting…
6800 Detainees, Including 300 Children, Currently Imprisoned By Israel
Palestinian Researcher specialized in detainees’ affairs, former detainee, Abdul-Nasser Farawna, stated that there are currently 6800 detainees imprisoned by Israel, including 300 children 34 women, and 213 detainees in administrative detention.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59023
10 detained by Israeli forces overnight
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Overnight raids by Israeli forces on West Bank towns and villages ended with the detention of ten men, with Israeli media outlets claiming Nablus-area apprehensions related to a pipe-bomb incident. Three detentions were recorded in Nablus, four from Ramallah, two from Hebron and one from Bethlehem.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295187
Israel launches arresting campaigns in Jerusalem
Jerusalem, June 29, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli occupation forces arrested today five Jerusalemites from the town of ‘Silwan’, south of Al Aqsa Mosque. Local sources said that the Israeli occupation forces have launched a wide arresting campaign in ‘Holwa’ valley and the middle of the town. According to the same sources, Israeli forces arrested five Jerusalemites, including two children under the age of 12 years.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/6544-israel-launches-arresting-campaigns-in-jerusalem
Israel raids Yata, Ezna in Hebron
Hebron, June 29, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided today several neighborhoods in the city of Hebron. Local sources said that Israeli forces raided the towns of Ezna and Yata in Hebron. They detained Nour Al-Kharouf, from Ezna after searching his house. The IOF daily roams and raids the neighborhoods of Hebron under the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/6541-israel-raids-yata-ezna-in-hebron
Israel condemns Al-Aqsa Brigade member to 21 years
Nablus – Ma’an – An Israeli military court convening at the Salem detention center sentenced a member of the Al-Aqsa Brigades from Nablus to 21 years on Monday, sources said. Louay Taysir Barham, 23, was handed down the sentence for affiliation with the Fatah’s armed wing and for involvement in attacks against Israel, the sources said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295375
Resistance: All detainees shall be freed
Gaza – Ma’an – Freeing Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails is a religious duty, a military wing within the Salah Ad-Din Brigades said Monday. A statement issued by the Resistance Committee said Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will remain captive until Palestinian prisoners are released, and called on detainees to remain steadfast as factions work toward securing their release.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295381
Prisoners: Israel wants us to pressure Hamas
Thousands of cellular phones smuggled into security prisons despite Prison Service inspections. Prisoners say Israel ‘wants us to talk to our families, push Hamas to accept Shalit exchange deal’.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3912296,00.html
The Siege
Report: Gazans treated in Israel in life-threatening cases only
Human rights organizations say patients prevented from leaving Gaza for important medical procedures ‘against ethical codes.’ Government’s coordinator in territories: Report biased; we’ve approved more than 9,000 cases a year.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3912355,00.html
EGYPT: Thousands of Gazans trek to Cairo for medical treatment
CAIRO Tuesday, June 29, 2010 (IRIN) – Thousands of Gazans are taking advantage of an open border crossing with Egypt since 1 June to seek treatment for a range of illnesses in Cairo hospitals.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=89661
Israel parrtially opens one commercial crossings, no fuel
Gaza, June 29, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli occupation authorities decided today to partially open the commercial crossings leading to the Gaza Strip. The Chairman of Gaza’s supplies, Engineer Raed Fattouh, confirmed that the Israeli side decided to open today the Kerem Abu Salem and Karni commercial crossings partially to let in goods, aid and cooking gas.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/gaza-strip/6532-israel-parrtially-opens-one-commercial-crossings-no-fuel
Human Rights/Refugees
United Nations African Meeting on Question of Palestine to Consider Boosting African Support for Just, Lasting Solution, in Rabat, Morocco, 1–2 July
The objective of the Meeting, at this time of intensified efforts at resuming the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, is to promote broad international support, including by African States, for a solution of the conflict based on a shared vision of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. The Meeting will discuss the current status of Jerusalem, including the religious and cultural significance of the Holy City, and its status in international law and United Nations resolutions. The Meeting will consider the question of Jerusalem in the context of the permanent status negotiations. Participants in the Meeting will also look into the importance of building an international consensus on a just and viable solution of the question of Jerusalem and the role of African States and other actors in that regard.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-86UNBG?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Al-Mezan: Governments must prioritize Palestinians
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Following the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to deliver fuel to Gaza, the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights said Monday that the political division deteriorates the human rights situation and “weakens the Palestinian struggle.” The organization condemned both governments for “involving basic service sectors in the internal disagreement,” a move it said causes “great suffering for the civilians,” in a statement.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=295212
Children in West Bank facing worse conditions than in Gaza
Areas of the West Bank under complete Israeli control have plummeted into a humanitarian crisis worse than Gaza, Save the Children warns. A new report, "Life on the Edge", released today, states that an estimated 40,000 Palestinians living in Area C – the 60% of the West Bank under Israeli control – are unable to make urgent repairs to their sewage systems, schools, homes or hospitals under Israel’s strict permit system.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/FERB-86VD9T?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Rival Hamas, UN summer camps compete over children (AP)
AP – Masked men trashed a U.N. summer camp Monday, tying up guards and slashing tents and an inflatable pool in the second such attack blamed on suspected extremists in just over a month — a sign of how, in Gaza, youth camp is not just about crafts and volleyball.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100628/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_gaza_summer_camps
Israel’s Arab Partners
Riz Khan – Egypt’s Gaza crisis
Has Gaza’s humanitarian disaster become a political crisis for Egypt? On Monday’s Riz Khan we will look at Egypt’s policies towards Gaza and whether or not its traditional leadership role is being eclipsed as a result.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV_yvwRZALs&feature=youtube_gdata
Cairo bars entry of Jordanian unionists into Gaza for 3rd day running
Jordanian trade union sources informed a PIC reporter in Amman on Monday that Egyptian authorities continue to prevent the trade union delegation from entering Gaza for the third consecutive day.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7isF1iAdQQoOANhMAyVlwEE2bh71lwCj%2bMDwuZJzHXvupSzbD0qem53wj%2bHJTccQkX8lhGq7gU1XepC5EMWWE1B4bDn1EvxhOiKy7%2bCyzLOw%3d
Israel pipeline threatened; Egypt beefs up security
Egyptian authorities tighten security around pipeline supplying gas to Israel after Sinai Bedouins threaten to attack it; Egypt provides about third of Jewish State’s natural gas.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3912167,00.html
Palestinians seek new partner: US Jews (Racist American Zionists)
PA President Abbas is guest of honor at dinner with small but influential gathering of over 30 Jewish American leaders, political heavyweights. Officials say successful meeting reflects realization that courting American Jews could benefit Palestinians
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3912447,00.html
‘Arab commandos’ in Jerusalem?
A security firm that employs the veterans of elite British units will provide instruction to 80 Palestinian security guards to be deployed in east Jerusalem., The new Palestinian unit will be tasked with securing European Union facilities in the eastern part of the capital and maintaining order in the area. The 80 Palestinians to be selected for the highly coveted job will be trained and guided by British company Saladin Security., The project has been arranged by the EU, which intends to train the Palestinians to serve as a highly skilled police force to maintain the order in Arab areas in Jerusalem, and later on across the Palestinian Authority.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3912121,00.html
Hamas spy finds home in California, seeks asylum (AP)
AP – Mosab Hassan Yousef says he will be killed if he is deported from the United States to the West Bank. The oldest son of one of Hamas’ founders, he was an Israeli spy for a decade, and he abandoned Islam for Christianity, further marking him a traitor.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100629/ap_on_re_us/us_israel_hamas_spy
Palestinian security in Gaza discovers woman working for Israeli intelligence
The Palestinian security apparatuses in the Gaza Strip managed to find out about a woman who worked for the Israeli intelligence for almost five years.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s74YjIiv41r5feXf%2ful2wzqr%2fUNlcLfJacS9%2fSdcShGuaU6O2dsKyGicoolJHazltoS8awxs5vers8YStdk1d%2fi4QCt0kprsly%2f9rQea5Mpxc%3d
UAE freezes 41 Iran-linked bank accounts
DUBAI: The central bank of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has told financial institutions in the Gulf Arab country to freeze 41 Iran-linked accounts, in a move based on new UN sanctions on Tehran, a UAE daily reported Monday.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=116466
Jordanians to Invest in Israeli Farm Industry
Mustafa Sabri – PNN- A number of Jordanian investors are planning to invest in farming business in the Israeli side of the Jordan valley. According to media sources in Jordan, Israel has given the investors many privileges such as low rent of land and low water costs. Israel may charge the investors USD 200 for each acre of land while in Jordan the cost is USD 560. Investors say that Israel will guarantee that their products will be sold in Israeli markets with good prices and will provide them with low cost fertilizers in addition to facilitating their movement between Jordan and Israel. The products that will be produced will include avocados, mango and olives. The lands will be located mainly in the Israeli controlled side of the Jordan valley in addition to some lands in Tiberias.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8416
Flotilla Investigation
Erdogan: Israel must apologize for Gaza flotilla, blockade
Turkish PM tells Charlie Rose that Israeli government is the single biggest obstacle to Mideast peace, saying Turkey convinced Hamas to join talks ‘to a certain extent.’
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/erdogan-israel-must-apologize-for-gaza-flotilla-blockade-1.298932?localLinksEnabled=false
Israel raid on Gaza flotilla was a premeditated ‘terrorist attack’, say Turkish organizers
Report drafted by IHH, the Turkish NGO which spearheaded the May 31 flotilla, calls says IDF deadly takeover ‘an attack against all humanity and peace’.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-raid-on-gaza-flotilla-was-a-premeditated-terrorist-attack-say-turkish-organizers-1.299001?localLinksEnabled=false
Turks shot multiple times on Gaza ship: forensics (AFP)
AFP – All but two of the nine Turks killed in an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship were shot more than once, and five died from bullet wounds to the head, according to forensic reports.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100629/wl_mideast_afp/israelgazaturkeyconflictprobe
Political Developments, Or Lack Of
Russian FM: Talking to Hamas important
After meeting with Israeli counterpart Lieberman, Lavrov clarifies Moscow trying to convince Palestinian group to engage in diplomacy, says ‘we are witnessing positive movements.’ Russia is continuing its efforts to reach a compromise in Iranian nuclear issue, he adds.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3912420,00.html
Erekat: Disbanding PA a possibility
New York – The possibility of disbanding the Palestinian Authority (PA) will be on the table soon if no progress is made in negotiations with Israel, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said in remarks published Monday. "I will not go back on what I said; Israel cannot possibly believe that it will remain the source of power [for the PA] for good," he told the pan-Arab newspaper Ash-Sharq Al-Aqwsat. He described the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza as "deluxe occupation," as Israel does not have to pay a high price for its presence in the territories.
http://palestinenote.com/cs/blogs/topnews/archive/2010/06/28/erekat-disbanding-pa-a-possibility.aspx
Saudi king seeks Obama action on Mideast peace (Reuters)
Reuters – Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah will press U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington this week to take a stronger stance with Israel over stalled peace talks with the Palestinians, analysts and diplomats said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100628/pl_nm/us_saudi_obama
Saudi king in Washington
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah is set to meet US President Barack Obama for talks in Washington DC on Tuesday. The discussions between the two leaders are expected to focus on Israeli-Palestinian peace negotations and stepping up trade between the two countries. Iran’s nuclear programme has also been a major foreign policy priority for both countries. Al Jazeera’s Tarek Bazley reports. [June 29, 2010]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdR-FoCcAF8&feature=youtube_gdata
U.S. voices frustration with Netanyahu over stalled proximity talks
PM’s bureau: Israel is conducting the proximity talks very thoroughly, on a variety of issues, in order to progress to direct talks as quickly as possible.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/u-s-voices-frustration-with-netanyahu-over-stalled-proximity-talks-1.298854?localLinksEnabled=false
Yediot: In summit with Netanyahu, Obama will demand full lifting of Gaza blockade
The lifting of the blockade on the Gaza Strip and permission for Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip freely through Israeli border crossings. These are the unequivocal demands that President Barack Obama is expected to make during his meeting with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in the White House in two weeks.
http://coteret.com/2010/06/27/yediot-in-summit-with-netanyahu-obama-will-demand-full-lifting-of-gaza-blockade/
Israel Rules Out Palestinian State by 2012
Israel’s foreign minister said on Tuesday there was no chance a Palestinian state would be established in the next two years.
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=e78fbc15b18c048ef1c5097182cb5893
Other News
Mystery Man Arrested in Poland May Have Aided Alleged Mossad Hit Team
Official and unofficial spy aficionados are still puzzled over why Israel would ruin its previously friendly relationship with authorities in a key Gulf emirate, and blow the identities of so many undercover operatives, just to eliminate an obscure Hamas operative. One theory gaining support among intelligence experts is that Mossad’s intent was to drug and kidnap Mabhouh, and then try to use him in a trade for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held hostage in Gaza by Hamas. But the Israelis, according to this theory, may have overdosed their target on knockout drops.
http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/declassified/2010/06/23/mystery-man-arrested-in-poland-may-have-aided-alleged-mossad-hit-team.html
Analysis/Opinion
Mud and Hope in South Hebron
There’s a strange beauty in the viscous black mud that comes up from the depths of the earth, from the bottom, or somewhere near the bottom, of the well we are cleaning in Bi’r al-’Id. Bucket after bucket of it, lifted by pulley from down below, straggles to the surface, where we unload it and pour it out on the rocky escarpment. Its texture changes remarkably over the long morning hours from a watery top layer to heavy, shiny dark loam to a granular, sticky brown. It has a strong smell, like the sulphurous mud from the Dead Sea (not very far away) that people smear over their bodies for healing. Yehuda says the Palestinians of Bi’r al-’Id should bottle it and sell it at the airport: “Sacred Mud from the Sacred Desert.” There’s no end to it. The buckets go down and up, down and up, heavier each time; the rope attached to the pulley is now caked solid with mud, and the escarpment has turned into a mire. Amiel, Dolev, and Danny are down in the dark recesses, filling the buckets alongside Haj Isma’il. Suddenly Ezra arrives—he was released from jail only a few days ago—and immediately lowers himself, like Spider Man, down the shaft. You can’t stop him. When they emerge hours later, they are black troglodytes, covered with mud from head to toe; and we, too, working the buckets above ground, are splattered, encrusted, soaked.
http://theonlydemocracy.org/2010/06/mud-and-hope-in-south-hebron/
Richard Cohen’s ignorant, anti-Hamas rant, Helena Cobban
Shorter Richard Cohen, today: We have to starve Gaza’s 1.5 million people in order to save them (from Hamas). Where does this guy get his ignorant opinions from, and why does the WaPo pay him huge gobs of money as a staff columnist to continue inflicting them on the reading public?
http://justworldnews.org/archives/004057.html
Shalit’s Case is Also Palestinian, Joharah Baker for MIFTAH
It’s been four years. No one, probably not even the captors themselves thought the situation would last as long as it did. When a group of armed Palestinians ambushed an Israeli military post near the Kerem Shalom Crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel and captured Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit, in all fairness, they probably thought it would be days, months at most until the mighty Israeli army saved him.
http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=22279&CategoryId=3
Mearsheimer says ‘apartheid is despicable system at odds with American values’
I love it when realists make moral arguments. At the American Conservative, John Mearsheimer declares the two-state solution dead, and Israel headed for apartheid, with the U.S. backing it to the hilt and losing credibility around the world.
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/mearsheimer-says-apartheid-is-despicable-system-at-odds-with-american-values.html
‘Terrorism’ is the primary bulwark through which Zionism defends itself from scrutiny, Paul Woodward
On September 11, 2001, George Bush changed the way Americans look at the world and the success with which he accomplished this feat is evident in the fact that his perspective largely remains unchallenged — even among many of his most outspoken critics. Bush’s simplistic for-us-or-against-us formula was transparently emotive yet utterly effective. For almost a decade, Americans have been told to look at the world through the lens of “terrorism” and while differences of opinion exist about whether the lens has too wide or narrow an angle or about the extent to which it brings things into focus, those of us who say the lens is so deeply flawed that it should be scrapped, remain in a minority.
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/terrorism-is-the-primary-bulwark-through-which-zionism-defends-itself-from-scrutiny.html
A Better Blockade?, NADIA HIJAB
After locking itself up for hours on end, Israel’s security cabinet finally emerged to announce an easing of its blockade on Gaza, a move immediately welcomed by the United States. Israel and the U.S. hope to defuse world outrage over the collective punishment of the 1.5 million Palestinians who live there and to prevent future flotillas from trying to break the siege.
http://www.counterpunch.com/hijab06292010.html
From the USS Liberty to the Mavi Marmara, Rifat Audeh
In an outstanding article entitled ‘How Israeli propaganda shaped U.S. media coverage of the flotilla attack’, Glenn Greenwald makes the argument that is self-evident in the title. As someone who was on the Mavi Marmara ship and interviewed frequently after the Israeli crime, I can attest to the accuracy of his findings, which are also applicable to the Canadian media and other global media outlets as well, albeit to a lesser extent.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16094
Cartoons
Peace Negotiations, Fahd Bahady
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/bahady280610.html
Racial Segregation Even Among Jews, by Khalil Bendib
http://palestinianpundit.blogspot.com/2010/06/racial-segregation-even-among-jews-by.html
Iraq
8 killed in Iraq attacks, including army general (AP)
AP – A series of bombings around Iraq Tuesday claimed eight lives, including four policemen, a Baghdad provincial council official and an Iraqi army general, Iraqi officials said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100629/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq
Monday: 6 Iraqis Killed, 18 Wounded
At least six Iraqis were killed and 18 more were wounded in the latest violence. Also, Turkish warplanes conducted yet another bombing run on suspected Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) hideouts in northern Iraq.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/06/28/monday-6-iraqis-killed-18-wounded/
UN: Iraq vacuum threatens security
Iraq’s parliamentary elections were held on March 7, 2010 but no political party had managed to earn enough seats to form a government alone, rendering a political alliance a must. However, the country’s main politicial rivals have yet to agree on the formation of a new government after months of stalled talks. In an interview to Al Jazeera, Ed Melkert, the United Nation’s special envoy to Iraq, said feuding political leaders must settle their differences because the country’s political vacuum is threatening security throughout Iraq. Al Jazeera’s Omar Al-Saleh reports from Baghdad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td5kK4uKXv8&feature=youtube_gdata
The US is failing Iraqi refugees | Sadhbh Walshe
It’s old news now that the US-led invasion of Iraq has not quite gone according to plan, assuming that the plan actually was to bring democracy to the country. Seven years into the conflict, the dictator is gone, but democracy remains elusive and Iraq now has a massive refugee crisis to which the US response has been shockingly inadequate.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jun/28/us-iraqi-refugees
Iraqis seek out private schools to educate children (Reuters)
Reuters – Once banned under Saddam Hussein, private schools have flourished in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion as Iraqis become increasingly frustrated with their government’s failure to provide basic services.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100629/wl_nm/us_iraq_education
Lebanon
Shepherd abducted by Israeli Army returns bruised
BEIRUT: The shepherd abducted by the Israeli Army was handed back to Lebanese authorities on Monday, with signs of mistreatment during his detention. According to a spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), who acted as a mediator between Lebanese and Israeli armies, injuries were found on Imad Hassan Atwi’s body following his transfer to Lebanon. “Yesterday, a Lebanese shepherd was apprehended by the [Israeli Army] in the Shebaa Farms area,” said UNIFIL spokesperson Neeraj Singh. “UNIFIL Force Commander [Alberto Asarta Cuevas] was in contact with all the parties with a view to resolving the situation. UNIFIL’s immediate concern was to secure the release of the shepherd. “This afternoon the [Israeli Army] handed over the shepherd to UNIFIL. He was examined by the UNIFIL physician and found to have some bruises on his head and body as well as sprain in his right ankle. UNIFIL has since handed him over to the Lebanese Army.”
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=116499#axzz0sBa9HOSJ
Hezbollah angered over shepherd abduction
BEIRUT, Lebanon, June 28 (UPI) — Hezbollah considers the Israeli detention of a shepherd near the Shebaa Farms region a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty, the resistance movement said. Israeli forces during the weekend apprehended 37-year-old shepherd Imad Hassan Atwi. Lebanese media reports suggest Israeli forces crossed the Lebanese border and took the shepherd to the occupied Shebaa Farms region.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/06/28/Hezbollah-angered-over-shepherd-abduction/UPI-69011277747663/
LEBANON: Alleged Israeli spy had access to ‘most significant segment’ of cellphone network
An alleged Israeli spy arrested by Lebanese Army Intelligence last week had access to the "most significant segment" of one of the only two mobile networks in Lebanon, an industry expert told Babylon & Beyond. The alleged spy, identified by officials as "Charbel Q," reportedly has confessed to working on behalf of the Israelis since 1996 and may have planted monitoring devices allowing the Israelis to tap directly into the Alfa network, one of the two major cellphone companies operating in Lebanon, according to local media reports (Arabic link). "There is evidence that the accused, Charbel Q., had ties to Israel," a spokesman for the army confirmed. "The investigation is ongoing, and when it finishes, the matter will be decided according to Lebanese law."
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/06/lebanon-alleged-israeli-spy-had-access-to-most-significant-segment-of-mobile-phone-network.html
Lebanon arrests three for alleged Facebook slander of president
BEIRUT — Lebanon arrested on Monday three people who allegedly used the social networking website Facebook to slander President Michel Sleiman, a judicial source said. "General prosecutor Said Mirza ordered the arrest of Naim George Hanna, 27, Antoine Youssef Ramia, 29, and Shebel Rajeh Qasab, 27, after authorities interrogated them on charges of libel, slander and defamation against the president on Facebook," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jbJPwrHsoejTCb71MMbUyywuZ0ig
Iran
Inside Story – Iran: Dictating new conditions
Iran may be ready to resume talks with the West, but under new conditions. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, set out new criteria for Western nations, highlighting what he called the Western hypocrisy. What has triggered Iran to re-assert itself? Is Tehran in a position to dictate new conditions? Or are the latest sanctions already biting?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SXCRhfJVpY&feature=youtube_gdata
Iran Says CIA Waging Psychological Warfare against It
Iran on Monday accused the US Central Intelligence Agency of waging "psychological warfare" against it, saying the CIA knows the Islamic republic’s nuclear program has no military aims. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast dismissed CIA director Leon Panetta’s remarks that Iran could have nuclear weapons prepared and ready to deliver by as early as 2012, saying that US intelligence knew Iran’s nuclear program was peaceful.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=144112&language=en
‘Iran will retaliate if ships inspected’
"We reserve the right of retaliation for ourselves… we are able to defend our rights," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a Monday press conference, when asked about the possible inspection of Iranian ships under new UN sanctions against the country.
http://presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=132392§ionid=351020104
Massive Iranian military reinforcement near the Gulf region
Informed Iranian sources were quoted as saying on Monday that Tehran reinforced the presence of the army and the Revolutionary Guards near the coast of the Persian Gulf, following the U.N. decision to impose tougher sanctions, including the threat of international inspections of Iranian vessels.
http://www1.albawaba.com/en/main-headlines/massive-iranian-military-reinforcement-near-gulf-region
Israel’s Iranian Opposition?
Two days ago, I found it curious to learn of a large rally held in Paris by the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI, also known as MEK or MKO) by reading the headlines on Ynet and on Ha’aretz. I usually follow Iranian opposition events via various other Iranian websites, where the rally was not mentioned. And while the Israeli press can be counted upon to have nearly daily entries in its hysterical campaign towards a military confrontation with Iran, it still seemed curious to find this rally by a relatively discredited Iranian opposition group featured so prominently on these Israeli websites. But then reading closely the matter was clarified somewhat (from Ha’aretz): The rally by the PMOI, which Washington considers to be a terrorist organisation, was attended by former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton and Jose Maria Aznar, the former prime minister of Spain.
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/israel%E2%80%99s-iranian-opposition.html
Iran recently scored a nuclear victory against Israel
The fact that the United States was forced to assert that Israel should consider joining the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is tantamount to a victory for the regime in Tehran. Ever since the Iranian nuclear crisis emerged about seven years ago, the Iranian leadership has accused the international community of closing its eyes to Israel’s nuclear arsenal and focusing instead on what Iran’s leaders defend as their country’s peaceful nuclear program.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=116470#axzz0sBcZZKAK
U.S. and other World News
Obama and Erdogan’s 75-minute talk at G-20
Today’s Zaman has an intriguing description of the 75-minute meeting that Obama held with Turkish PM Rejep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday, the eve of yesterday’s G-20 meeting in Canada. It’s an election year in the U.S. (as indeed it is every other year… ) and Obama is under a lot of pressure from the powerful pro-Israel lobby AIPAC to distance himself from longtime NATO ally and Afghanistan war contributing nation Turkey. See e.g. this pathetic piece of anti-Turkish propaganda sent around recently by AIPAC media director Josh Block.
http://justworldnews.org/archives/004055.html
US arrests ‘Russian spies’
Two others were arrested for allegedly participating in the same Russian intelligence programme within the United States. Ten people have been arrested for allegedly serving as agents of the Russian government in the United States, the US justice department has said. Eight of the 10 were arrested on Sunday for allegedly carrying out "long-term, deep cover assignments" in the US on behalf of Russia.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/06/2010628211436339938.html
Former UK intelligence officer talks about "Russian spy" arrests in US
US authorities have detained 10 alleged Russian spies accused of infiltrating government policy-making circles to gather intelligence for Moscow. The suspects, who appeared in a court in New York on Monday, face charges of conspiring to act as an agent for a foreign government. However, the accused have not been charged with espionage. In an interview, Glenmore Trenear-Harvey, a former British Intelligence Officer and editor-in-chief of the World Intelligence Review, spoke to Al Jazeera about the significance of the arrests and charges. [June 29, 2010]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LXllUw8N_0&feature=youtube_gdata
U.S. dog raid on madrassa sparks violent Afghan clash
KABUL, June 29 (Reuters) – Afghan police clashed on Tuesday with dozens of stone-throwing protesters who had gathered at a religious school on the outskirts of the capital to complain about arrests by foreign forces. Reuters witnesses said police could be seen firing rounds in the air or ground to disperse the protesters and saw what appeared to be three lifeless bodies being carried away by a police vehicle.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SGE65S0A9.htm
The Devil Is In The Details: Department of Howeland Security Monitoring Web
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said that in the future there will be "increased" Internet monitoring of U.S. citizens due to the dangers of homegrown terrorism. Napolitano remarked on how "wrong" it is to believe that if "security" is embraced, that liberty will be sacrificed.
http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/devil-details-dhs-monitoring-web-wrong-words%C3%82%C2%A0
Five Arab leaders meet to discuss closer relations
Leaders of five Arab League countries opened a meeting on Monday in the Libyan capital of Tripoli with the aim of discussing steps to develop the joint action of the pan-Arab body, including a proposal to establish a union of Arab states.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=116481#axzz0sBbWIL88
Jordan’s new election law is a letdown
Jordan’s King Abdullah II recently promulgated a new electoral law in preparation for fall elections to replace the Parliament dissolved in November 2009. To the dismay of local reformers and civil society groups, the revised law maintains the controversial one-man one-vote system in which a citizen may vote for only one candidate.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=116472
Maher Arar: The Supreme Court Can Ignore Me But My Torture Claims Won’t Go Away
Last week the Supreme Court of the United States of America refused to hear my case. This eliminates any remaining hope for me of obtaining justice through the U.S. judicial system against US officials who sent me to Syria to be tortured. Let me emphasize the fact that my case is not an isolated one. My case is unique in the sense that I was the only person who was rendered from US soil. But hundreds of other human beings have been rendered by the CIA and handed over to brutal regimes. No one knows how many of these people have died under torture or completely disappeared. Those of us who were lucky "survived" and were released, but now live with psychological and physical scars.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maher-arar/the-supreme-court-can-ign_b_628358.html
How the UAE condones sexual violence | Nadya Khalife
Attitudes in the Emirates towards women may have improved, but the punishment of those who report rape is a scandal. In the United Arab Emirates, a country that prides itself on modernity and its willingness to advance women’s rights, the criminal court in Abu Dhabi has sentenced an 18-year-old Emirati woman to a year in prison for illicit sex after she reported that six men had gang-raped her.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jun/29/uae-rape-victims-women
Daoud Kuttab: Unable to Pay World Cup TV Fees, Jordanians Use Ingenuity With Help From a Local Radio Station
Ingenuity and media entrepreneurship, helped out by technological changes, provided a rare opportunity for many Jordanians to follow their favorite teams vying for the World Cup.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daoud-kuttab/unable-to-pay-world-cup-t_b_626502.html
