and other news from today in Palestine:
Take action today for Hana al-Shalabi – administrative detainee and hunger striker!
Hana al-Shalabi, an imprisoned Palestinian held under administrative detention without charge or trial, has been engaged in an open-ended hunger strike since her re-arrest on February 16, 2012. Now that Khader Adnan’s heroism has opened the eyes of the world to the struggles of Palestinian prisoners, it is imperative to keep the pressure on for Hana al-Shalabi. TWEET NOW to share this action alert by clicking here. Hana al-Shalabi – like Khader Adnan – needs international solidarity and support for her case to amplify her voice and that of her nearly 5,000 fellow Palestinian prisoners, and to make it clear that the people of the world will not accept the abuse and arbitrary detention of Palestinians by the Israeli occupation. Send a letter now to Israeli officials demanding her freedom. Hana al-Shalabi was released from an Israeli prison in October 2011 in a prisoner exchange agreement; prior to her release, she had been held for more than 30 months. During that time, she was never charged with any crime nor tried; she spent nearly three years in arbitrary administrative detention.
http://samidoun.ca/2012/02/take-action-today-for-hana-al-shalabi-administrative-detainee-and-hunger-striker/
Khader Adnan, the Palestinian who ended a 66 day hunger strike against his detention by Israel without charge or trial is recovering well, but remains in a precarious medical condition, according to a joint statement from Addameer and Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI), which respectively sent a lawyer and doctor to visit him today (full text below).
Detained young woman Hana’a Shalabi has entered her tenth day of hunger strike protesting her administrative detention despite being released late last year in the prisoners’ exchange deal.
Israel To Grab 21 Dunums In Salfit
Aziz Aasi, mayor of Qarawat Bani Hassan stated, Saturday, that the Israeli army issued a new order to takeover privately-owned Palestinian lands in Khallet Hadida of Sarta town in Salfit district.
http://www.imemc.org/article/63056
Israeli occupation bulldozers leveled 12 dunums of cultivated land in Sourif village to the north of Al-Khalil on Thursday, local sources said.
IOF maneuvers damage Palestinian cultivated land
Palestinian inhabitants have appealed to human rights groups to visit the northern Jordan Valley and see for themselves the damages inflicted by Israeli army maneuvers.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s73mvPF5h4eGomCqCHs1RN%2bh32tp16P35BUlMkRZdtD92R3daJN47vajBlcN5tk8faVDP%2bzUHy%2bd%2fdkWz1gy1OmDLMZC7CshBPyW%2fr%2bxmm3q4%3d
Leaders of Jewish settlers declared the launch of a wide campaign to raise funds for the demolition of the Aqsa Mosque and the building of the alleged temple mount in its place.
Violence and Aggression
A Palestinian man has died after being injured in clashes at an Israeli army checkpoint in the West Bank, Palestinian medical sources say.
Local youth Faris Abu Nab was sentenced to house arrest in the Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 22 February, after he was arrested two days prior under accusation of participating in clashes with Israeli troops. Nab was beaten and shocked with a tazer gun by Israeli forces on the evening of 20 February when he was arrested in Ras al-Amoud. The youngster was also forced to pay a 1,000 NIS bail to secure his “release” to house arrest.
A new video showing Israeli soldiers abusing a cuffed and blindfolded Palestinian detainee was released after being shot by a hidden camera in Ni’lin village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah.
http://www.imemc.org/article/63055
Israeli Government: Release non-violent Palestinian activist, Fadi Quran, from prison
Fadi Quran, a non-violent Palestinian activist, was arrested by Israeli soldiers during a peaceful protest. Fadi is being charged with pushing an Israeli soldier, but video footage (watch for yourself here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUeJEUX5Vtc) shows that he was speaking, then pepper sprayed, pushed down violently to the ground by soldiers and arrested. Fadi, a Stanford graduate, is studying law and working for an alternative energy company in Ramallah. According to Time magazine he is the face of the new NON VIOLENT Palestinian movement (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2062474,00.html) You can also read more about Fadi’s non violent efforts here: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/02/the-arab-spring-comes-to-israel/253600/ Fadi should not be detained for an indefinite period of time on false charges. It is imperative that the Israeli government release Fadi so that he may continue to speak for his people and PEACEFULLY push for basic human rights.
On Tuesday February 21, 2012, Israeli Forces raided the Palestinian village of Beit Ommar and raided several homes, arresting three youth between the ages of 14 and 17. According to the Popular Committee in Beit Ommar, the occupation forces arrested three people; Mohammad Ahmed Khalil Abu Hashem (14 years old) Mohab Samir Mehanna (16 years old), and Mohammed Jamil Saadi (17 years old). The boys were taken to the illegal Israeli settlement of Karmei Tsur which is built on land belonging to Beit Ommar residents. When one of the detainees was being taken from his home, his father Ahmad Abu Hashem, was beaten by soldiers as he tried to convince them to let his son Mohammad put on more clothes to protect him from the cold.
IOF soldiers storm homes of detainee’s sisters
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed the homes of two Palestinian women, the sisters of a prisoner, in Al-Khalil in a pre-dawn raid on Saturday, relatives said.
Mass protest: “Open Shuhada Street and lift the siege from the heart of Hebron”
In the mass protest in Hebron this Friday, Palestinian member of Knesset Mohammed Baraka was injured in his right leg and dozens of other Palestinians suffered further injuries as the occupation forces were shooting tear gas and sound bombs into the crowd to disperse the demonstration. The protest was called by the political forces in the governorate of Hebron, the Stop the Wall Campaign and the Committee for the defense of Hebron in the eighteenth anniversary of the massacre in the Ibrahimi Mosque. The main demands of the mass rally were the opening of Shuhada Street and freedom of movement of Palestinians in Hebron.
Dozens treated for breathing difficulty in IOF violent quelling of marches
Dozens of Palestinian citizens and foreign activists were treated for breathing problems on Friday after Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired gas bombs at peaceful protests in West Bank areas.
Friday Protests Erupt Across the West Bank
JERUSALEM- Shortly after Friday prayers, Israeli soldiers raided the Al-Aqsa compound and fired a volley of tear gas canisters and sound bomb grenades at the large crowd of worshippers.
Mbuyiseni Ndlozi – Israeli Apartheid Week
Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is a PhD candidate and the Chairperson of the Post Graduate Association at Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa. Ndlozi is a member of the South African Students Congress (SASCO) and a board member of BDS South Africa. Mbuyiseni is active in campaigning on both domestic and international issues, including worker rights, student issues and Palestine solidarity. He recently attended the South African session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine, a people’s tribunal that found Israel guilty of the crime of apartheid under international law.
VIDEO: MSU students stage mass walkout of StandWithUs sponsored Israel army event, Ali Abunimah
Students at Michigan State University (MSU) protested a presentation by two Israeli soldiers visiting their campus by staging a mass walk out on 21 February, a video posted on YouTube shows.
Several weeks ago, TEDxUC Irvine organizers asked Irvine 11 protester Osama Shabaik to speak at a March 3rd event. TheTEDx speaker series is an offshoot of the popular TED talks, whose mission is to create a “community welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world.”
The king must go: Bahraini mourners
Bahraini mourners attending the funeral of a woman who died due to tear gas inhalation fired by Saudi-backed security forces have called for the ouster of the king and the Al Khalifa regime.
Bahraini forces attack, arrest protesters
Bahraini regime forces attack protesters in several villages of the Persian Gulf kingdom and make arrests, Press TV reports.
Bahrain’s medics ‘driven underground’
Bahraini medic says doctors are forced to treat protesters in secret.
Full speed ahead for Bahrain Grand Prix
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone gives the Bahrain GP the thumbs up despite continuing unrest in the Gulf state.
Iraq Slaughter: 97 Killed, 348 Wounded
Just a day after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki warned of efforts to stoke sectarian strife, coordinated attacks against mostly Shi’ite targets took place across the country. At least 97 Iraqis were killed in the attacks, and another 348 were wounded.
Shi’ite Cleric Sadr Calls Iraqi PM a “Dictator”
In a curious reversal of support, Shi’ite Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is now referring to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as the “dictator of the government.” Whether this spells an end to the Maliki administration is unclear. Meanwhile, at least four Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded in new attacks.
Saudi forces open fire on Qatif protest
Saudi security forces have opened fire on anti-government protesters in the eastern city of Qatif, injuring at least three demonstrators.
Saudi journalist faces trial over tweets
Is religion too taboo for social media? We’ll discuss a case of so-called “Twitter blasphemy” in Saudi Arabia.
http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/the-growing-rebellion-in-saudi-arabia/84/
Syria: Humanitarian access urged in Homs
Humanitarian aid agencies must be allowed immediate and unhindered access to Homs and other affected areas, Amnesty International said today. The Bab ‘Amr district of the city has come under intensive shelling for more than 17 days, during which time Amnesty International has received the names of 465 people reported to have been killed in Homs. “The accounts we are hearing from Homs are increasingly dire, with people lacking the most basic amenities,” said Ann Harrison, interim Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.
Foreign minister tells conference on Syria that supplying weapons to rebels fighting Assad regime is ‘an excellent idea’ as Obama vows to use ‘every tool available’ to stop the slaughter Saudi Arabia has backed the arming of Syria’s opposition guerrilla army in remarks that could signal an intervention by the Sunni Muslim superpower in the Assad regime’s crackdown against the uprising. The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, described the arming of the Free Syria Army as an “excellent idea” at an inaugural meeting in Tunisia of an anti-Assad group – the Friends of Syria. But the Saudi delegation later walked out of the summit citing “inactivity” among the member states gathered. Qatar’s foreign minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, called for the creation of an Arab force to “open humanitarian corridors to provide security to the Syrian people”.
Qatar threatens to create invading force in Syria
An Arab force should be created to interfere in Syria, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said on Friday. ”There is a need to create an Arab force and open humanitarian corridors to provide security to the Syrian people,” he said in a speech at the “Friends of Syria” international meeting in Tunisia. Arab League governments have withdrawn their envoys to Syria and promised to give material and logistical support to the anti-government armed opposition.
Diplomats seek ways to end Syria bloodshed
Officials from more than 70 countries gather for “Friends of Syria” meeting in Tunisia to explore options for peace.
Syria holds vote on new constitution
Activists doubt charter proposed by Assad will end five decades of one-party rule which sparked ongoing unrest.
Beyond the Fall of the Syrian Regime
Syrians are approaching the one-year anniversary of what has become the most tragic, far-reaching and uncertain episode of the Arab uprisings. Since protesters first took to the streets in towns and villages across the country in March 2011, they have paid an exorbitant price in a domestic crisis that has become intertwined with a strategic struggle over the future of Syria.
The Myth of Israel’s Liberal Supreme Court Exposed, Jonathan Cook
Little more than a decade ago, in a brief interlude of heady optimism about the prospects of regional peace, the Israeli Supreme Court issued two landmark rulings that, it was widely assumed, heralded the advent of a new, post-Zionist era for Israel. But with two more watershed judgments handed down over the winter of 2011-2012 the same court has decisively reversed the tide.
Israeli Military Courts as Enforcement Mechanism of Occupation, Charlotte Kates
‘As for your judicial apparatus…: it is one of the instruments of the occupation whose function is to give the cover of legal legitimacy to the crimes of the occupation, in addition to consecrating its systems and allowing the imposition of these systems on our people through force. This judicial apparatus also supports the administration of this occupation – which is the worst form of state-organized terrorism – as if you were in a permanent state of self-defense. The legitimate resistance of our people is seen as if it were terrorism that must be combated and liquidated and judgment is placed upon those that practice or support it. And in the face of this contradiction between two logics, there would have to be a conviction.’ – Ahmad Sa’adat, Palestinian leader and political prisoner, addressing Israeli military court.
Radio station aims to empower Palestinian women
Nisaa FM is an almost entirely female-run Palestinian radio station based in Ramallah and the only radio station in the Middle East devoted solely to women’s issues.
A new multidisciplinary project examines how Israeli settlements, a burgeoning neoliberal economy and loss of traditional heritage is quickly transforming Palestine’s landscapes and public spaces.
if hunger strike is the way to freedom, Palestinians, all of them, are ready to starve #HanaHungerStrike
Rabbi Ovadia Josef spoke against attack on Iran.
Supreme Leader of Iran mantains fatwa against nuclear weapons.
Perhaps simple theocracy would be a positive step in Middle East?