And China, Morocco and Ban Ki-moon come out against Jerusalem house demolitions, in some of the other news…
Land theft and destruction/Ethnic cleansing
Israel’s Likud to back West Bank settlement growth (AFP)
AFP – Israel’s right-wing Likud party was to endorse on Thursday settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, with an eye to a building spurt when a moratorium on construction expires in September.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100624/wl_mideast_afp/mideastdiplomacyussettler
Palestinians slams Israeli plan to expel Hamas (AP)
AP – The Palestinian president has denounced Israel’s plan to expel four politicians from Jerusalem because they belong to the Islamic militant group Hamas.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100624/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians
MKs offer to evacuate Arabs from Silwan
In letter to prime minister, rightist lawmakers promise to help Jewish residents in east Jerusalem neighborhood to remove families living in old synagogue building.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3909831,00.html
U.N.’s Ban criticizes East Jerusalem housing plan (Reuters)
Reuters – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticized Israeli municipal authorities on Wednesday for pressing ahead with a plan to raze Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, calling it unhelpful and illegal.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100623/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_un
China joins world condemnation of East Jerusalem building plan
France counters Obama, EU worry that Israel’s plan for 900 homes will pose obstacle to peace process.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/china-joins-world-condemnation-of-east-jerusalem-building-plan-1.3902
Morocco: East Jerusalem building will have serious consequences
Morocco has condemned Israel’s plan to "demolish the Palestinian houses in east Jerusalem" and called on the international community to intervene in order to stop the "illegal decision", an official source in Rabat said. The source added that "Morocco rejects the false claims trying to justify the construction of an archaeological garden in the area and warns Israel that this will have serious consequences."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3909874,00.html
Gaza rallies against Jerusalem lawmakers’ deportation
Gaza – Ma’an – Gaza legislators and faction leaders gathered at the Palestinian Legislative Council building in Gaza City on Wednesday, to protest an Israeli decision to deport four Jerusalem lawmakers from the city. Deputized PLC Speaker Ahmad Bahar said the move to expel Muhammad Abu Tier, Muhammad Totah, Khaled Abu Arafa, and Ahmed Atoun, from Jerusalem and revoke their residency rights was "a continuation of Israeli violations beginning with home demolitions in Silwan, the confiscation of land to complete the wall, and settlement expansion."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294152
Fearing expulsion, Palestinians stay home (AP)
AP – The Helou family is so worried about getting expelled to Gaza by Israeli authorities that they’re all but trapped in this West Bank town. They couldn’t even leave to get their disabled son the best possible surgery to let him walk.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100624/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_illegal_at_home
‘The wall ruined my life, separated my family’
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The demolition of a Palestinian man’s home on Monday was his final lost battle in a string of defeats going back to the 1990s, the Beit Jala man told Ma’an. In 1992, Israel confiscated several hundred dunums of land belonging to the family, where the tunnels system was created to connect the illegal Israeli settlements of Gilo and Bettar Illit with Jerusalem. What was left undeveloped on the far side of the tunnel road was confiscated, and the farming family was left to find a different source of livelihood.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294311
Lawyer files claim against Museum of Tolerance over improper grave removal
Complaint filed on behalf of a new organization, the Association for Muslim Affairs, that represents the heads of various Muslim communities in Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/lawyer-files-claim-against-museum-of-tolerance-over-improper-grave-removal-1.297947?localLinksEnabled=false
Birkat Goes It Alone: Silwan The Target For Ethnic Cleansing
From Cast Lead to the Mavi Marmara, few states have displayed Israel’s commitment to unilateral action. A unique ability to deflect external criticism has allowed successive administrations to advance Israel’s expansionist interests. A microcosm can be glimpsed in Jerusalem, where Mayor Nir Birkat’s intention to re-develop in Silwan place the Municipality’s glamour project over the rights of residents, the agenda of his government and stillborn proximity talks.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1460
Aiding and Abetting: Israeli expo in NYC markets penthouses in settlements
The Jewish Agency says settlements are great if you’re making aliyah with kids. "Try to visit within a year of your aliyah with your children,” the website reads. “Small communities with a high percentage of olim, such as settlements in the Galilee, or Judea and Samaria, often offer more support than major cities.” That’s an understatement. At the Aliyah Expo, I learned of the Go North program from Nefesh B’Nefesh, the Jewish Agency’s North American partner. Go North families get $25,000 and a vehicle subsidy of up to $16,000 (with extra employment help, a “local ‘buddy’ family,” and more). And for the past five years, Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Jewish Agency have offered “Community Aliyah,” which offers extra rent subsidies, job counseling, social events, and more to families that move to settlements like Gush Etzion, Ariel, and Ma’aleh Adumim. Whether it’s the Galilee or the West Bank, the Jewish Agency is committed to “Judaization” on both sides of the green line: separation and containment of Palestinians while expropriating their land.
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/israeli-expo-in-nyc-markets-settlement-penthouses.html
Solidarity/Activism/Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment
Hebron Jew won’t claim home until Palestinians return
Hebron – Ma’an – An elderly Jewish man from Hebron has asked the city’s mayor to permit his burial in a Muslim cemetery when he dies, insisting that his body not be placed in one of the sites now controlled by Israeli settlers. Haim Bajayo, 75, visited Mayor Khalid Al-Useili at his office in the southern West Bank city and described in detail how Jews and Arabs had generally enjoyed amiable relations until the arrival of tens of thousands of foreign immigrants from the 1920s until 1948, the year Israel was established and most of Hebron’s Jews fled to the new state established in their name.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294067
Justice for Adeeb Abu Rahma: Peaceful protest is not a crime
The conflict between the Israeli military and security and the popular non-violent Palestinian resistance is reaching a crisis – in large part a tribute to the worldwide credibility and admiration the resistance is steadily winning. Today in Palestine, such resistance is breaking out in larger towns, small villages, Bedouin encampments, in both Christian and Muslim areas. People are marching, chanting and singing, carrying signs, and often using very funny or touching street theatre. Palestinians are calling for their rights, joined and assisted by international and Israeli volunteers in a new model of friendship and brotherhood that offers hope for the future.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/06/12805/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+palsolidarity+%28International+Solidarity+Movement%29
Israeli State War Against Ameer Makhoul : Interview with Ameer`s wife Jadan Abdu
Nadia Hijab – Tikun Olam – We believe that the main purpose of arresting Ameer – other than to frighten the community – is to silence his voice. His voice is significant for many reasons. He has been writing many strategic, forward-looking pieces to help shape thinking among the community and elsewhere. When I visit with him I urge him to keep writing. He’s allowed to send two letters a month. And I write to him and I’m keeping a journal so we can document his story.
http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=40725
US Social Forum cancels exploitative Zionist workshop
In a historic accomplishment, the leadership of the US Social Forum voted this morning to cancel a workshop proposed by "Stand With US," a Zionist organization that sought to represent Israel as a safe haven for LGBTQI communities and undermine the broadening support for the cause of justice in/for Palestine. As the National Planning Committee (NPC) put it in its announcement, "the workshop ‘LGBTQI Liberation in the Middle East’ (Thursday, 24 June 10:00am to 12:00pm) has been canceled for violating the submission procedure and transparency requirements for all workshops, and for being in violation of the anti-racist principles central to the US Social Forum."
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11353.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29
Israel to reexamine its shooting of US activist (AP)
AP – Israeli police will reopen the investigation into their shooting of a pro-Palestinian U.S. activist last year.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100624/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_american_wounded
Mohamed Khodr – Petition: A World United for the Freedom of Humanity…Freedom of Palestine
http://palestinethinktank.com/2010/06/23/mohamed-khodr-petition-a-world-united-for-the-freedom-of-humanity-freedom-of-palestine/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PalestineThinkTank+%28Palestine+Think+Tank%29
CALL TO ACTION: Tell ADC To Remove Ray Hanania From Its National Board
News that Dr. Safa Rifka, Chairman of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), has confirmed the appointment of journalist Ray Hanania to the organization’s national board is both shocking and disappointing. Ray Hanania is a polarizing figure within the Arab-American community. He often makes statements that serve to strengthen the very stereotypes ADC aims to break.
http://www.kabobfest.com/2010/06/call-to-action-tell-adc-to-remove-ray-hanania-from-its-national-board.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kabobfest%2FGrillMe+%28KABOBfest%29
Israel’s American and Arab Helpers
US urges ships from Lebanon to send Gaza aid via land (AFP)
AFP – The United States on Wednesday urged aid ships from Lebanon to Gaza to "behave responsibly" and avoid clashes by having the aid delivered via established land routes from Israel.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100623/pl_afp/israelconflictlebanonus
Report: IAF helicopters unload equipment ‘meant for attacking a Muslim state’ at Saudi airport
Helicopters landed at a Saudi airport and unloaded equipment intended for attacking targets in a Muslim state, semi-official news agency reports.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/report-iaf-helicopters-unload-equipment-meant-for-attacking-a-muslim-state-at-saudi-airport-1.297942?localLinksEnabled=false
UAE vows to strictly enforce UN nuclear sanctions on Iran
UAE is one of Iran’s biggest trading partners and serves as a key conduit for nuclear and missile components.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/uae-vows-to-strictly-enforce-un-nuclear-sanctions-on-iran-1.297941?localLinksEnabled=false
Siege/Human Rights/Humanitarian Issues
Gazans unhappy with ‘eased’ blockade
More than 100 trucks have delivered a cargo of goods no longer banned under the rules of the Israeli blockade. But with the economy there still in ruins, for many the change will not make much difference. Al Jazeera’s Nicole Johnston reports from Gaza, has been spending time with Gazan families to find out how much of a difference the recent easing has made.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B2k-ng_wk8&feature=youtube_gdata
‘We don’t want a crossing for plates, cups and tooth brushes’
We watched the trucks roll into Gaza with goods Israel has not allowed in for more than three years. And when we waved the drivers down to stop so we could see the cargo, there were those innocuous items; kids’ footballs, packets of pencils, children’s backpacks, kitchen cutlery and sewing material. Is this a "liberalised" siege – an "easing" of the blockade? Or is this Israel’s folly on display for the world to see? From Thursday the goods now allowed into Gaza will include spare parts for cars, engine oil, tyres, parts for the agricultural and fishing industries, perfume and makeup. In Gaza people see this as a minor modification of the siege. All of these items are already available here. They come from Egypt and are smuggled through underground tunnels. This inflates the price and the quality is poor.
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2010/06/23/we-dont-want-crossing-plates-cups-and-tooth-brushes
Where Cancer Sufferers Get Only Painkillers
Arafat Hamdona, 20, has been confined to the cancer unit of As-Shifa, Gaza’s primary hospital, since he was diagnosed with maxillary skin tumours in June 2008. Red lesions protrude from his face, his features are distorted and his eyes swollen shut. In April, Arafat was permitted to travel to Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem where he received three series of chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. He was scheduled to return for further treatment, but has not been granted permission by the Israeli authorities to leave Gaza.
http://www.palestinechronicle.com/news.php?id=28d34f486ac0735c23020628f904f088&mode=details
European MPs to Israel: Lift Gaza blockade completely
PACE resolution calls on Israel to allow in good via sea, ‘without prejudice to its own security’.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/european-mps-to-israel-lift-gaza-blockade-completely-1.298107?localLinksEnabled=false
Khudari: Palestinians entitled to sea route linking Gaza to outside world
MP Jamal Al-Khudari has underlined that the Palestinians are entitled to having a sea route linking Gaza Strip to the outside world under European supervision.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7mB%2bQXaIKrtQPC7rOd3D2OlUf5pFDccwylVwVy%2b1FOn2csH4HTFD8swwaK2J8yMt%2fJQ8BwiT6LusIUhSekiPDMlfmi5jKnVF1X8tWabxjdeI%3d
Single Gaza crossing open
Gaza – Ma’an – One Gaza crossing will open on Thursday, Israeli officials told Palestinian crossings authorities, for the limited transport of supplies for aid agencies, along with some commercial goods and agricultural products. Palestinian crossings liaison official Raed Fattouh said the supplies would come through the Kerem Shalom crossing, located in the southern Gaza Strip just west of the destroyed Yasser Arafat International Airport.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294247
Egypt’s unfulfilled promise to open the Rafah Crossing
Following Israel’s attack on the Freedom Flotilla at the end of last month, the siege of Gaza has come under the spotlight. In Europe and the United States there is a growing realisation in official circles that the siege is unacceptable and untenable. With this realisation, attention has, quite naturally, fallen on Egypt’s role in the siege. Following the attack on the flotilla, Egypt announced that it had opened the Rafah Crossing, the only point of entry to Gaza not under Israel’s direct control, indefinitely. Prior to that the Rafah Crossing had been kept completely closed to the movement of goods, and was only opened intermittently to the movement of people. This made Egypt a collaborator with Israel in its siege of the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian government had refused to allow aid into Gaza. In December last year it began building a steel wall designed to cut off Gaza’s only lifeline to the outside world – the smuggling tunnels built underneath the border between Gaza and Egypt. 156 Palestinians have died in these tunnels, which are prone to collapse, over the past two years. Some of these deaths were due to deliberate action by the Egyptian security forces.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/articles/middle-east/1202-egypts-unfulfilled-promise-to-open-the-rafah-crossing
Mubarak: Israel responsible for siege, not Cairo
Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Egypt strongly rejects any Israeli attempt to renounce its responsibility toward Gaza and transpose it on to Cairo, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Wednesday. Speaking before top officials of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), Egypt will work toward lifting the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, stressing that the Palestinian cause will remain a top Egyptian foreign policy priority, the Egyptian news site Al-Masry Al-Yom reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294200
Commitments Yet Unfulfilled
On Sunday, Israel’s Cabinet issued an encouraging statement promising to remove many of the restrictions on civilian goods entering Gaza, including those needed for economic activity. What has changed on the ground since the announcement and more generally, since international pressure mounted on Israel in the wake of the May 31 flotilla incident? The list of consumer goods permitted into Gaza has been expanded to include previously banned items such as ketchup, mayonnaise, and children’s toys. Ah, yes, and chips (french fries) as well, for dipping into the ketchup. But that’s about it.
http://www.gazagateway.org/2010/06/commitments-yet-unfulfilled/
EU expands social welfare program in West Bank
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Almost 50,000 in need Palestinian families will receive cash allowances under an EU and Palestinian Authority initiative, a joint statement said. Saturday’s payment will be the tenth under the scheme. However, the program has been reformed in the West Bank, expanding to target more families in extreme poverty.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294252
Gaza summer camp underway
Gaza – Ma’an – A Gaza summer camp kicked off its program on Wednesday at the Hasad Al-Kheir Institute building and playground in the Al-Tufah neighborhood, east of Gaza City. Under the banner Freedom for Detainees, organizers said all efforts were undertaken to ensure the camp provides the children with a respite from the situation in Gaza.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294185
Violence and Aggression
Teenager shot by settler forced to pay fine
Hebron/Bethlehem – Ma’an – A teenage boy shot by an Israeli settler has been fined by Israeli police investigating the case, family members said. Mohammad Ibrahim, 16, was shot in the chest as he walked home from school with his friends on 4 June. His friend, Moataz Moussa Omran Banat, was also shot in the leg. On Tuesday, Ibrahim’s father said Israeli police from the Kiryat Arba settlement asked him to bring his son to make a report on the incident.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294113
Hebron visit by Knesset member provokes settler venom
A member of the left-wing Knesset party visited Tel Rumeida settlement in Hebron Wednesday, generating a large crowd as walked through the city. He came to speak and was given a tour of the settlements. The group was surrounded by around 10 police, 40 border police, and also at least two vans of secret police (according to Palestinian bystanders these are the same group who shot dead several people on board the Gaza flotilla last month). There were also representatives of Breaking the Silence, and three or four coach-loads of Zionists following the press and party member into the Tel Rumeida settlement. The heavy police presence suggested concern that settlers would attack the visitors.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/06/12811/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+palsolidarity+%28International+Solidarity+Movement%29
Family exhumes body of slain Jerusalem man
Jerusalem – Ma’an – At the request of the Al-Julani family, the body of the man shot dead in Jerusalem last week was exhumed just after midnight on Thursday morning for autopsy. The body of the 38-year-old Zaid was taken from its place of internment at the Al-Asbat Gate cemetery near Al-Aqsa Mosque under the watch of doctors from the Abu Kabir Institute for forensic medicine and clerks from Israel’s Magistrates Court and Ministry of Justice, and moved to a secure autopsy facility in Jerusalem.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294345
Detainees
Family says son paralyzed from torture in Israeli jail
Jenin – Ma’an – The parents of a Palestinian detainee from Jenin have called on international rights groups to secure their son’s immediate release, after he was reportedly tortured in an Israeli prison. Asad Sholi, from the Kafr Dan village in Jenin, was severely beaten by Israeli Prison Service staff, during which both hands and legs were broken, parents said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294211
Targeting Israel’s Palestinians, Ben White
Israel’s Palestinian minority has always been subject to discriminatory policies, but some now say that a more open conflict between the Israeli establishment and its Palestinian citizens appears to be brewing. In May, Ameer Makhoul, the director of Ittijah, a network for Palestinian NGOs, was taken from his home in the middle of the night by the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service. Once the media gag was lifted, it emerged that Makhoul and another Palestinian citizen, Omar Said, a natural medicine expert and Balad party activist, were facing serious security-related charges. Both men were denied access to lawyers for approximately a fortnight. Makhoul’s wife, Janan Abdu, says she feels that her husband is being made an example of. "He’s in a key position in within the community here, has a high profile internationally and he has been speaking clearly about discrimination and encouraging [a] boycott [of Israel]."
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2010/06/201062211432729531.html
War Criminals
Report: Israel has new Gaza plan
JERUSALEM, June 23 (UPI) — Israel’s military has drawn up plans to evacuate entire villages and refugee camps in Gaza if a new conflict with Hamas erupts, the Jerusalem Post has learned. The Post says in an exclusive report Wednesday that the evacuation plan partially draws on a previous Gaza operation, Cast Lead, in which Israeli Defense Forces dropped fliers over areas it planned to invade and made phone calls to residents warning them to leave.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/International/2010/06/23/Report-Israel-has-new-Gaza-plan/UPI-16021277304356/
Political Developments/Flotilla Fallout
US vetoed Shalit release deal and other things I learned from "diplomatic sources"
I had some interesting conversations with what I can refer to as diplomatic sources familiar with these matters and thought the following points worth sharing…
http://aliabunimah.posterous.com/us-vetoed-shalit-release-deal-and-other-thing
National unity remains elusive under occupation
Since the split between the Fatah and Hamas factions deepened after the latter stymied foreign-backed efforts to overthrow it in 2007 following its election victory the previous year, there has been much talk of restoring Palestinian unity. Such reconciliation has however so far eluded all efforts. Some analysts think it may have a better chance now. Rami Almeghari reports for The Electronic Intifada.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11354.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29
Fatah official: Abbas not willing to go to Gaza
Bethlehem – Ma’an – President Mahmoud Abbas is unwilling to visit Gaza because Hamas has not reciprocated his conciliatory efforts, a senior Fatah official said Tuesday. Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha’ath told Ma’an that Hamas failed to welcome Abbas when he announced his willingness to visit the Strip, and that the president is reluctant to go to Gaza and return without making real progress.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294272
Netanyahu: State’s legitimacy attacked
Prime minister attends special Knesset session initiated by opposition, says radical Islam cooperating with radical Left against Israel’s existence. MK Itzik urges him to form unity government with Kadima.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3909747,00.html
Netanyahu: PA has no intention to enter direct talks
Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Palestinian Authority of obstructing dialogue on Wednesday, as he spoke before the Knesset, Israeli media reported. "The Palestinian side promoted the Goldstone report, organized boycotts, and tried to prevent our entrance into the OECD. The Palestinian Authority has no intentions of engaging in direct talks with us," Netanyahu said, after saying the country’s legitimacy was being attacked, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294209
Egypt FM receives independent Palestinian delegation
Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit received a delegation of Palestinian independent politicians on Tuesday, Egyptian media reported. Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said some members of the delegation came from Gaza and that the meeting was aimed at encouraging dialogue with all Palestinian factions to end division, the news site Egypt News reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294206
Belgian lawyers to charge Barak and Livni for war crimes
Two Belgian lawyers, working on behalf of a group of Palestinians, plan to charge 14 Israeli politicians, including Ehud Olmert, Ehud Barak, Tzipi Livni and Matan Vilnai, for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/belgian-lawyers-to-charge-barak-and-livni-for-war-crimes-1.297920?localLinksEnabled=false
33 Greeks to sue Israeli officials over Gaza flotilla raid
Group of Greek citizens who took part in Gaza-bound flotilla that was taken over by the IDF last month to sue senior Israeli officials – including Defense Min. Barak, and army chief Ashkenazi.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/33-greeks-to-sue-israeli-officials-over-gaza-flotilla-raid-1.297930?localLinksEnabled=false
Gaza flotilla organizer: We’ll sue Israel at ICJ
Audrey Bomse of Free Gaza movement says members collecting evidence, testimonies from passengers stopped by Israel on their way to Strip in order to make Jewish state ‘pay the price for its crimes’. Civilians to file similar claim in Greek court.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3909855,00.html
Balkan summit condemns Israeli raid on Gaza flotilla
13 southeastern European countries, including Turkey, call for independent and internationally credible investigation on Gaza flotilla deaths.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/balkan-summit-condemns-israeli-raid-on-gaza-flotilla-1.297909?localLinksEnabled=false
Barak seeks to put aside rows to advance peace process (AFP)
AFP – Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak called here Wednesday for pushing ahead with the Middle East peace process by putting aside rows following a deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100623/pl_afp/mideastusdiplomacyisrael
Did the State Dept cave to pressure in denying flotilla activist entry to U.S.?, Alex Kane
When a near-capacity crowd of New Yorkers sat down in their seats to hear testimonials on June 18 from survivors of Israel’s attack on an aid flotilla trying to break the blockade of Gaza, they expected to hear from three different activists. Instead, they only heard from two at the House of the Lord Church in Brooklyn.
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/did-the-state-dept-cave-to-pressure-in-denying-flotilla-activist-entry-to-u-s.html
Israeli Racists
Initiative: Expel ‘filthy’ infiltrators from Tel Aviv
Shas councilman leads campaign against renting apartments to foreign migrants, refugees. City Council chairwoman: Campaign racist, illegal.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3909889,00.html
Yishai: Seculars shouldn’t preach us
In an interview with Shas journal, party chairman slams those who criticized his stand on Emmanuel discrimination affair, asks ‘how many Sephardic judges does the High Court have? Are the haredim the only ones with racism?’
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3909928,00.html
Above the Law: Israel pardons ‘school row’ mothers
Israel’s supreme court overturns jail sentences for ultra-Orthodox Jewish mothers who defied a school integration ruling.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/world/middle_east/10381177.stm
Emmanuel rabbi: We won’t compromise even before firing squad
In potent letter distributed to Hasidic followers, Slonim dynasty’s grand rabbi ups battle against High Court, calls it ‘a struggle between faith and heresy, between power of holiness and power of impurity of Other Side, a struggle we always knew would come at the End of Days’.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3909800,00.html
Israel jails brother of Ghanaian soccer player
Brother of John Paintsil who waved Israeli flag during 2006 World Cup files for asylum in Israel, but arrested for illegal stay due to expired visa. ‘I cannot return to Ghana because I truly fear for my life,’ he tells Ynet from prison.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3909811,00.html
Other News
Jordan trade unions urge France to revoke Hamas TV ban (AFP)
AFP – Jordan’s Islamist-dominated trade unions urged France on Thursday to revoke an "unjust" decision to block broadcasts by the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television channel for alleged incitement.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100624/wl_mideast_afp/mideastfrancehamasmediajordan
JULIA IRWIN MP: Middle East Speech in Australia’s Federal Parliament
(Fowler) (9.39 am)—The development of Israeli settlements in the West Bank continues unabated. With the world occupied in getting the parties to the negotiating table, the reality on the ground is changing to the point that a real and meaningful settlement based on a two-state solution may soon become practically unachievable. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is being painted into such a corner as will prevent him from agreeing to any peace plan that does not provide the Palestinian people with a meaningful unified state and not a series of fractured Palestinian cities and towns.
http://intifada-palestine.com/2010/06/julia-irwin-mp-middle-east-speech-in-australia%e2%80%99s-federal-parliament/
The Last Keffiyeh Factory In Palestine
Originating in ancient Mesopotamia, the Keffiyah was popular among Arab men who used it to protect their face, head, and neck from the elements of nature. The traditional pattern, which is still used today in Palestine and other Arab Nations, was modeled after fishing nets and ears of grain. During the Arab Revolt in the 1930s, the keffiyah became a symbol of Palestinian nationalism and in the 1980s Yasser Arafat made the keffiyah a globally recognized symbol of the Palestinian struggle. Today, cheaper imports of the keffiyah from China threaten an already troubled industry. Rebecca Fudala takes a look inside the last keffiyah factory in Palestine.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1461
Turkish Military Delegation In Israel For Drone Deal
Turkish Military officials are currently in Israel to receive instructions and test four Israeli drones, Heron, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, owned by Israel.
http://www.imemc.org/article/58989
Navy to buy ships from Arab-owned company?
Deal between Israel, German shipbuilders hits snag when UAE-owned firm buys majority of shares.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3910265,00.html
Cairo envoy miffed at snub from top Netanyahu aide
In his cable, Levanon urged senior officials in Jerusalem to appeal to their counterparts in Cairo for more accommodating treatment of Israel’s diplomatic personnel in Egypt.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/cairo-envoy-miffed-at-snub-from-top-netanyahu-aide-1.297953
Police bans gay parade to Knesset
Gay community’s request to end Pride Parade at parliament denied. Open House chairman calls decision ‘infuriating’; Israel Religious Action Center threatens legal action.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3910296,00.html
Analysis/Opinion
Fighting talk: The new propaganda
Robert Fisk – The Independent – So an "occupation" becomes a "dispute". Thus a "wall" becomes a "fence" or "security barrier". Thus Israeli acts of colonisation of Arab land, contrary to all international law, become "settlements" or "outposts" or "Jewish neighbourhoods". It was Colin Powell, in his starring, powerless appearance as Secretary of State to George W Bush, who told US diplomats to refer to occupied Palestinian land as "disputed land" – and that was good enough for most of the US media. There are no "competing narratives", of course, between the US military and the Taliban. When there are, you`ll know the West has lost.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/fighting-talk-the-new-propaganda-2006001.html
Iraq
Attacks targeting Iraqi forces kill 10 (AP)
AP – A spate of attacks targeting Iraqi security forces and their allies killed at least 10 people on Thursday, half in suicide bombings in the northern city of Mosul, officials said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100624/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq
Qaeda claims deadly attack on Iraqi bank: SITE (AFP)
AFP – The Al-Qaeda front in Iraq has said it was behind last weekend’s twin suicide bombings outside a Baghdad bank that killed 26 and wounded 53 people, US monitoring group SITE reported on Wednesday.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100623/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestqaedaclaim
Shi’ite rifts threaten to prolong Iraq government delay (Reuters)
Reuters – Iraq’s main Shi’ite-led blocs are facing serious problems in deciding on a candidate for prime minister, straining their alliance and threatening to prolong the delay in forming a government, party officials said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100624/wl_nm/us_iraq_politics_shiites
Iraqis told to wait for two more years for power supplies to improve
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki dumped Iraqis’ hope of better electricity supplies by saying that they will have to wait at least two more years before they see any tangible improvements. Power shortages have worsened recently amid scorching heat and rising temperatures. Supplies from the national grid are erratic and may last less than three hours a day. Violent demonstrations, in which two people were killed and scores injured, swept across southern Iraq and have so far covered five provinces. More demonstrations are expected in central Iraq, but they will probably change nothing.
http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2010-06-23\kurd.htm
War uproots Iraq’s signature date palms, and their tenders (McClatchy Newspapers)
McClatchy Newspapers – BAGHDAD — Jawad Kadhim rides his rusty bicycle through Baghdad neighborhoods that have been transformed by violence, sealed off by concrete blast walls and emptied of their once close-knit inhabitants.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100623/wl_mcclatchy/3545685
Lebanon
Infrastructure Minister warns Hezbollah: Israel will fight for its gas fields
Landau responds to Lebanon MPs’ accusations that Israel’s off-shore drilling violated naval territorial lines.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/infrastructure-minister-warns-hezbollah-israel-will-fight-for-its-gas-fields-1.298077?localLinksEnabled=false
PLO Rejects Naturalization: Rights Not Up For Bargaining
23/06/2010 Palestine Liberation Organization Representative in Lebanon Abdullah Abdullah hailed government efforts aimed at giving Palestinian refugees their civil rights. "There is an encouraging factor behind the proposals to grant Palestinians in Lebanon their civil rights," Abdullah told Lebanese daily An-Nahar. "This stems from the fact that the Lebanese are convinced that the Palestinians reject naturalization," he explained. Abdullah stressed that both Lebanese and Palestinians are against the naturalization of Palestinians and that both sides support the right of return. He slammed as "unrealistic" some reports that said about 400,000 Palestinians intend to buy apartments in Lebanon, a matter that is likely to cause housing price hike.
http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=143506&language=en
Murr Expresses Concern over ‘Naturalization’ of Palestinians
23/06/2010 MP Michel Murr stressed Wednesday the importance of granting Palestinian refugees in Lebanon their rights, but said a draft law on the matter cannot be submitted as an urgent bill. Murr wondered what stops the Palestinians from being naturalized if they are granted social security and the right of ownership. He added that the Christian leaders voiced their concern with a draft law being submitted as an urgent bill "because they say it’s a precursor to naturalization, and they are right."
http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=143522&language=en
Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon: Righting a Perpetual Wrong
Finally, a parliamentary debate in Lebanon over the human rights of Palestinian refugees. What is unfortunate though, is that granting basic civil rights to over 400,000 Palestinians – 62 years after their expulsion from their historic homeland and the issuing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – has been a topic of ‘debate’ in the first place. Equally regrettable is the fact that various ‘Christian’ Lebanese political forces are fiercely opposing granting Palestinians their rights.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16082
Why Palestinians are second-class citizens in Lebanon | Ahmed Moor
Arab leaders pay lip service to Palestinian rights – except when it comes to the rights of domiciled refugees in their countries.
I moved to Beirut from New York nine months ago and began looking for an apartment. After 10 continuous years in America, I wanted to return to the Arab world – and returning to my family’s roots in Palestine wasn’t an option.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jun/24/middleeast-palestinian-territories
Sudanese protest in Khartoum against Lebanese raid
BEIRUT: Sudanese nationals demonstrated in Khartoum on Wednesday to condemn a raid by Lebanese security forces on a gathering of Sudanese refugees, as diplomats from both countries tried to cool tensions over the matter.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=116336
Parliament discusses granting basic rights to Palestinians
BEIRUT: Lebanese lawmakers submitted Wednesday a second draft law to grant Palestinian refugees their civil rights amid rising domestic debate over the scope of those rights and their nature. Both proposals called for amendments to labor, social security and foreign property ownership laws to guarantee equality in rights between Lebanese and Palestinians.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=116334
Documentary shows tragedy, hopes of refugees in Lebanon
BEIRUT: Mohammad, not his real name, 35, was tending to his fields when the attack on his village in Darfur, Sudan, began. He hid among the crops until the warplanes and military left, then raced back home to find his three brothers and three of his sisters killed and his mother moments away from death.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=116327
Al-Mustaqbal fined for slander of Jamil al-Sayyed
BEIRUT: The Beirut Publications Court fined both Al-Mustaqbal director and journalist LL 6 million on Wednesday for slander against former General Security Director General Jamil al-Sayyed. The court charged journalist Fares Khashan and the director of the Arabic daily Al-Mustaqbal, Tufiq Khattab, with slander and fined them LL6 million.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=116331
Al-Manar hit with fine over fake photos of LF
BEIRUT: The Beirut Publications Court charged the news director at Al-Manar TV on Wednesday with publishing fake photographs of Lebanese Forces (LF) members. The court charged the news and politics director at the Hizbullah-affilated Al-Manar, Mohammad Afif Ahmad, with publishing fake photographs.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=116330
U.S. and other World News
Obama fires US commander of war in Afghanistan
Barack Obama, the US president, has dismissed General Stanley McChrystal, the US and Nato commander in Afghanistan, over disparaging comments about the president’s staff in a Rolling Stone magazine interview. Obama said he would not tolerate any act that could undermine civilian control of the US military. The president was quick, however, to say that the counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan would continue — though without its chief architect. Afghan officials expressed disappointment over McChrystal’s dismissal, but Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, said he accepted the decision. Al Jazeera’s Nick Spicer reports. (June 24, 2010)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wReDAt9Nw_8&feature=youtube_gdata
McChrystal’s boss takes over as US commander in Afghanistan
General David Petraeus, the head of US Central Command, has replaced General Stanley McChrystal as commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, following the latter’s removal. Petraeus is widely seen as being instrumental in turning around US fortunes in the Iraq war, and many are waiting to see if he can he do the same in Afghanistan. Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane reports. (June 24, 2010)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLzBuVCT3E8&feature=youtube_gdata
Wikileaks plans to release files about deadly U.S. airstrike on Afghan civilians
Wikileaks.org plans to release as soon as this week documents related to a U.S. airstrike that killed Afghan civilians last year and plans to release combat footage of the incident this summer, the founder of the whistleblower site said in an interview Monday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/21/AR2010062104670_pf.html
Kifah Mustapha, Muslim Appointee As Chaplain For Illinois State Police, Turned Away Following Background Check
The group alleged that Mustapha was linked to the Palestine Committee of the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, a popular movement in the Muslim world that advocates the formation of Islamic governments in the Middle East. It also alleged he raised money for the Holy Land Foundation, a now-defunct Islamic charity whose founders were sentenced last year for funneling money to the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The group cited internal documents and a list of unindicted co-conspirators.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/23/kifah-mustapha-muslim-app_n_623541.html
Sunni suspicions frustrate Saudi’s Shia
Many Saudis consider the Shia, primarily present in the oil-rich Eastern province, as potential traitors, loyal to their brethren in Iran and busy plotting against Sunni. Many question whether the Shia are even Muslims.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/628814e6-7edd-11df-8398-00144feabdc0.html
Syrian human rights lawyer jailed for three years
Muhannad al-Hassani was convicted of charges brought against him after he drew public attention to unfair trials of political prisoners before the Supreme State Security Court. Amnesty International has condemned a three year prison sentence imposed on Wednesday on a Syrian lawyer and human rights defender who had publicised the unfair trials of political prisoners and is calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/syrian-human-rights-lawyer-jailed-three-years-2010-06-23
Award-winning Iranian journalist released on bail
Though released, Emaddedin Baghi now faces the additional charges of undertaking "propaganda against the state" and "colluding to commit acts against national security". Amnesty International has called on the Iranian authorities to drop all charges against the prominent journalist and human rights activist Emaddedin Baghi, following his release on bail on Wednesday.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/award-winning-iranian-journalist-released-bail-2010-06-23
Punishing Turkey, Philip Giraldi
Does anyone remember the movie The Boys from Brazil? It told the story of how a group of top Nazis had moved to Brazil where they made a number of clones of Hitler-as-a-child that were being strategically placed around the world to eventually bring about a Fourth Reich. The movie ended ambiguously, with many of the Hitler children still alive and evidently expected to eventually turn into Hitler adults. The movie makers were clearly on to something because there have been a lot of Hitler sightings by Israel and its friends over the past few years. Saddam Hussein was described as a new Hitler while Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been depicted in even more heinous terms as a reborn Nazi leader preparing a new Holocaust. More recently Israel demonstrators have displayed effigies of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the hairline altered and a moustache added to create a caricature of Hitler.
http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2010/06/23/punishing-turkey/
The Rape Of America: Capitalism: A Love Story (Part 1)
Movie examines the impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans.
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/wLieFymhxkw/
The Rape Of America: Capitalism: A Love Story (Part 2)
Movie examines the impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans.
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/4ppZzI0wBxg/
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