Activism

Settlers receive an escort from the Israeli military to intimidate Palestinians harvesting their olive trees

At 10 a.m. Friday, October 12th about 100 colonists, escorted by soldiers from the Israeli occupation forces, walked out of Karmei Tsur. They went in the direction of Jala at the west of Beit Ommar where several Palestinian residents have their olive trees. Local families were harvesting their olives, but fled when they saw the group of colonists to avoid being victims of settler attacks that are common in this area. Last year a colonist killed a Palestinian boy in Saffa. The colonists were also intimidating to the people of Jala who stayed home instead of going to Beit Ommar, as they usually do on Fridays. A local committee member, Ahmed Abu Hashem, documented the action and was told by the soldiers to not film or take pictures.
 

Israeli settler violence report: May-August 2012
Settler attacks continued over the summer with great frequency.  The attacks were directed, often premeditated, and more violent than even the Palestinians expected.  A substantial amount of land was destroyed and/or taken for use by Israeli settlements. 
http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/news/west-bank-and-settlers-violence/5457-israeli-settler-violence-report-may-august-2012.html

Land Theft & Destruction / Ethnic Cleansing / Restriction of Movement / Apartheid & Occupation / Refugees
 

IOF deprives entire village of olive harvesting
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have denied access permission to the inhabitants of Teyba village, west of Jenin, to enter their land behind the segregation wall and harvest their olive fruit.

Soldiers Demolish Home, Shed, In Jerusalem
Israeli soldiers demolished, Tuesday, a Palestinian home and a shed in Beit Hanina, in occupied East Jerusalem, the Quds Media Center reported.
http://www.imemc.org/article/64408

TWO weeks into the West Bank’s annual olive harvest, Israeli settlers have destroyed hundreds of trees and attacked Palestinian farmers in what rights groups warn is a dangerous escalation of violence. Settlers uprooted 300 trees in al-Mughir and Turmusaya villages, cut down 120 trees in Nablus, destroyed 100 olive saplings and 60 vine trees in al-Khader village, uprooted 40 trees in Ras Karkar and assaulted at least four Palestinian farmers, three of whom had to be taken to hospital, the Palestinian Authority reported.
Palestinian Authority executive member Hanan Ashrawi has written to all diplomatic representatives to call for international intervention.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/israeli-settlers-launch-assault-on-palestinian-agriculture-20121016-27p2x.html#ixzz29WfXaXi0
UN: In 2012, over 7,500 olive trees belonging to West Bank Palestinians have been damaged or destroyed, Adam Horowitz
Today, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released a fact sheet on the Palestinian Olive Harvest, which typically takes place in October and November. The olive harvest is also a period of increased settler violence and intimidation against Palestinians trying to access their land.

 

Settlers Uproot Olive And Grape Trees In Al-Khader
Ahmad Salah, coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem, reported that a number of armed extremist settlers uprooted 20 olive trees and 15 grape trees that belong to the residents of the village.

http://www.imemc.org/article/64406

 IOF soldiers storm school, settlers cut down almond trees
Israeli occupation forces stormed on Monday Al-Fakhit school to the east of Yatta town in Al-Khalil and detained students and teachers along with foreign solidarity activists inside it.

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli settlers blocked the southern entrance to al-Khader village on Tuesday, preventing dozens of cars from passing, locals said. Settlers from Gush Etzion blocked a road near the Bethlehem village, claiming that Palestinians had thrown rocks at a car which injured a woman. Israeli soldiers accompanied the settlers, witnesses added. Last week two Israeli rights groups released reports criticizing Israeli authorities for failing to protect Palestinians from settler violence, or investigate attacks.
 
Repeated storming of Aqsa a prelude for dividing it
The Aqsa foundation for Endowment and Heritage (AFEH) has warned that the repeated Israeli storming of the Aqsa mosque was a prelude for dividing it between Muslims and Jews.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7AOOMqSB%2bMr7FBwtn%2fhe8YbIC%2f%2fRl8uBpLYl91GOiUFepIyXbhL2Iq44YYG%2bD32wAT%2f5IP7mDqBiCpuer%2bityVontUefgtTsGFApi%2bIRSfvs%3d

 
Israel’s education policy in the Occupied Territories: Dividing two parts of a whole
Although the 1993 interim Oslo Accords define the West Bank and Gaza as “one single territorial unit,” Israel’s lingering Second Intifada security policies have created a clear policy of intentional separation.
 

A new Nakba looms as Israel plans ethnic cleansing of Palestinian village in the Negev
Anger and worry prevails amongst the people of Umm Al-Hayran, a Palestinian village in the Negev Desert following a decision by the Israeli Building Council to expel villagers in order to build a settlement for extremist Jews. An appeal by the humanitarian groups on behalf of the villagers was refused last week by the Israeli National Council for Planning and Construction.

 
Israeli army veterans admit role in massacres of Palestinians in 1948
Dozens of Israeli army veterans have admitted their involvement in massacres against Palestinian civilians in 1948, and acknowledged that Zionism misled them and is a catastrophe for both Jews and Arabs. The details have been revealed by the Yazkern organisation, which was founded in 2001 and seeks to unveil the truth and spread the Palestinian narrative of the country’s history among Israelis and convince them of Zionism’s false account. The organisation believes in a one-state solution and in Palestinians’ right to return to their land and homes.
 
In Lebanon, Palestinian refugees fleeing conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic face new challenges
BEIRUT, Lebanon, 16 October 2012 – Ten-year-old Ahmed* and his family have come to Lebanon from a Palestinian refugee camp in the Syrian Arab Republic. They fled their camp near Damascus when fighting intensified. One day, Ahmed’s 12-year-old sister Mona had stumbled across a bloody corpse close to their home. “It was terrible,” says Ahmed, “but I’d rather be there. In Syria, it was much nicer. I hardly know anyone here, and there is no place to play.”

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/lebanon_66189.html
 
Israeli & Egyptian Siege on Gaza
 
The Gaza Strip is in its sixth year of siege, in the 21st year of closure and the 46th year of occupation. The Coastal Aquifer, shared with Israel is its only accessible source of water, polluted at 90-95%. Decades of (systematic) de-development and, since 2007, persisting restrictions on material and equipment entry means maintenance works are on hold. In 2008-2009, Israeli military attacks – Operation Cast Lead – aggravated the damage on wells along with other deliberate and wanton (Goldstone) human and infrastructural losses. Scarcity of water sources have resulted in the over-abstraction of water, accelerating natural brackish water inflows from the SE (Negev) and seawater intrusions from the W (Mediterranean). Electricity cuts contribute to the pollution of water due to sewage interruptions on sewage treatment. 26% of illnesses in the Gaza Strip are water related. Gaza Water Confined and Contaminated communicates the tip of the iceberg. 
 

Qatar to inject $254 million into Gaza
Qatar on Tuesday launched a $254 million plan to rebuild and modernize Gaza, the biggest injection of reconstruction aid for the Palestinian enclave since it was devastated in an Israeli military offensive nearly four years ago.

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/10/17/244192.html
After pouring millions into the Gaza Strip for reconstruction projects, Qatar’s agenda in the region is still unclear, though it is certain that the emirate is attempting to expand its sway in local politics.
 
Israeli Terrorism / Raids
 
Settler attacks continued over the summer with great frequency.  The attacks were directed, often premeditated, and more violent than even the Palestinians expected.  A substantial amount of land was destroyed and/or taken for use by Israeli settlements. 
http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/news/west-bank-and-settlers-violence/5457-israeli-settler-violence-report-may-august-2012.html
 
The Israeli air force has conducted several air raids at night starting on the 12th of October, and ending on the morning of the 13th. “I felt a huge explosion at midnight while in a cafè with some friends. The first attack hit a Hamas military base north of Gaza City (in Nafaq street). Later, empty spaces in the refugee camps of Al Bureij and Nuseirat were hit, in the central Gaza Strip. Military aircraft continued to fly sporadically that night. At 3:20pm on the 13th I heard another huge explosion caused by an Israeli strike on a site belonging to the resistance, north of Gaza City. F-16 fighters flew for at least half an hour longer. An attack was also reported in an uninhabited area in the Bedouin village Um Al Nasser in Beit Lahia, which is located in the northern Gaza Strip. Later I learned that in this area the shelling had damaged a kindergarten.
 
Army Bombards A Qassam Center In Northern Gaza
The Israeli Air Force bombarded, on Wednesday at dawn, a training center that belongs to the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement in northern Gaza. The Qassam Brigades said that the army attempted to assassinate some of its fighters.
http://www.imemc.org/article/64412
 
QALQILIYA (Ma’an) — Israeli forces raided the Qalqiliya village of Azzun on Monday, forcing shopkeepers to close their stores, witnesses said. Soldiers also forced the owner of an olive oil press to stop work, locals added.
 
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli troops on Tuesday used force to break up a protest against settler attacks on a main road in the West Bank.  Dozens of Palestinians and international activists blocked Route 443 near Beit Ur, west of Ramallah. Israeli troops used force to break up the protest, firing sound grenades and pepper spray. An Israeli military spokeswoman told Ma’an that forces used “riot dispersal means” to move protesters who were blocking traffic. A Ma’an reporter said several protesters were injured.  ”The direct action today was organized in light of the increasing settler terrorism against Palestinians and their properties during the current olive harvest season, including the torching, uprooting or setting fire to olive trees, the theft of harvested olives, and the attacking of Palestinian families while picking olives,” the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee said in a statement.
 
Second Night Raid in Beit Ommar This Week
On Friday 12th of October at 4 a.m. the village of Beit Ommar in Hebron District was raided by Israeli occupation forces for the second time this week. The force went to the area of Saffa, north in Beit Ommar, which is close to the colony of Bat Ayin. The Israeli occupation forces raided the home of Nemer Aedy and his family and searched their house. Bilal Hani Nemer Aedy (19) was arrested and taken to the military base in the colony of Gush Eztion without any explanation for the arrest. Bilal is currently a student at the Hebron University and this is his first time in prison.
http://palestinesolidarityproject.org/2012/10/14/second-night-raid-in-beit-ommar-this-week/

Committee: Israeli soldiers assault teenager
HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces assaulted a Palestinian teen in Beit Ummar on Tuesday, a local committee said. Committee spokesman Muhammad Ayad Awad told Ma’an that Ashraf Khalil Sabarneh, 19, threw a glass bottle at an Israeli military watchtower. Soldiers then physically assaulted Sabarneh, who was taken to a Hebron hospital for treatment.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=529308

Four Palestinians Injured North Of Jerusalem

Four Palestinians were injured, on Tuesday, after the Israeli army attacked nonviolent protesters at the Latrun-Jerusalem Road (Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Road), north of occupied East Jerusalem, referred to by Israel as Road #443. One resident was kidnapped.
http://www.imemc.org/article/64407

Clashes Reported in Jenin, Hebron
Palestinian sources reported, Tuesday, that clashes were reported between Palestinian residents and Israeli soldiers in Az-Zababda village, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and in Beit Ummar town north of the southern West Bank Hebron.
 

Israeli MK storms al-Aqsa mosque accompanied with military leaders
Al-Aqsa Foundation for the Endowment and heritage said in a statement issued on Monday that the MK Uri Ariel, chairman of the Knesset’s State Control Committee, has stormed al-Aqsa mosque.

 
Beit Hanoun: The occupation opens fire at Palestinian farmers
The agricultural sector in the network of Palestinian NGOs strongly condemned the Israeli occupation forces attack, on Tuesday morning, on a group of farmers while they were reaping olive fruits.

Activist Injured in Demonstration
On Saturday, October 13th, 2012 Palestinian, Israeli and International activists marched to protest in front of the colony Karmei Tzur in a weekly demonstration. This week the main message was directed against the recent increase in colonist’s harassment of Palestinian farmers cultivating their land. In addition the activists protested against the terrorizing of the village of Beit Ommar conducted by the Israeli occupation forces in night raids, often to arrest children. The Israeli occupation forces lined up and tried to stop the residents of Beit Ommar, accompanied by Israeli and International activist, from marching into their own land. The demonstrators refused to accept this and kept on walking around the soldiers blocking the road. The soldiers chased after the demonstrators to stop them, and caused an injury to the leg of one of the activists.

 
Illegal Arrests
 
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up eight Palestinian citizens at dawn Tuesday in various West Bank areas and assaulted a young man in Beit Ummar village, north of Al-Khalil.

Including Children, Army Kidnaps 13 Palestinians In The West Bank
Israeli soldiers kidnapped, on Monday at dawn, 13 Palestinians in different parts of the West Bank, including two children, 12 and 11 years old, who were taken from their homes in occupied East Jerusalem, and a 15-year-old child in Hebron.

The occupation arrests a Palestinian farmer from al-Khalil
Israeli occupation forces arrested on Sunday a Palestinian citizen from the town of Beit Ummar in al-Khalil south of the occupied West Bank, while he was reaping olives in the his land.
 

Police arrest boys on school trip
Two children were detained by Israeli police on Friday, 12 October, before being released 5 hours later. Muhammad Abed al-Hafez Abu Rumoz, 16, and Fadi al-Kilani were arrested while on a school trip at Gu’s Beach then held at the police station in Tabariya. The boys were accused of “making trouble”, an accusation they denied which was confirmed by eyewitnesses.

 

Sweep of arrests through East Jerusalem
A sweep of arrests were made throughout Jerusalem by Israeli forces on Thursday, 11 October. The operation began in Shuafat Camp, Ras al-Khamis camp and Ras Shehade, then moved through Sawane and the Old City. Ten men and youth were arrested in Ras al-Khamis Camp and Ras Shehade between midnight and early morning. Several houses were raided and searched. Amongst those arrested were 19-year old Izhak G’atet and 16-year old Muhammad Abu Rumuz. Forces raided a home in the Bab al-Hadid neighborhood of the Old City near Al-Aqsa Mosque and arrested Luai Hadib, 27, when an argument broke out. Amir al-Qadmani, 17, was arrested in Sawane. From Silwan, Sarhan Sarhan (27), his brother Khaldoun Sarhan (26), and Samer Adkikak were arrested when their houses were raided. Israeli forces were aggressive towards the men’s families during the arrests.The Awad family home was raided in Bir Ayyub and the Ata Rayan home in Al-Bustan. Forces used sniffer dogs during the raid, and kept their sirens ringing into the night, provoking extreme anxiety in family members, many of whom were searched by armed forces. Fifteen-year old Salah Aweda was also arrested the following day.

 
Imprisoning Munir, the ‘Leader’, Tamar Fleishman
It was on Friday afternoon that they caught Munir Nayim Hamed who is fifteen and a half years old. ‘Munir is the leader’ people said. Every evening, Munir would lead his friends from the refugee camp holding stones in their hands, to battle the checkpoint and the soldiers that came out towards them. He stood at the front line of these teenagers when gas grenades were shot at them in retaliation. ”Six soldiers came, three stood back and three sneaked up and pulled a “red riding hood on him” (set a trap for him) said an eye witness who after spending seven years in an Israeli prison not only masters Hebrew but is also familiar with the slang.

Other Prisoner News
 

Court extends remand of Jerusalemite child
The Magistrate court in occupied Jerusalem decided to extend the detention of a 12-year-old Jerusalemite child till Wednesday.

 
Palestinian human rights organization stated that the prisoners Ayman Sharawna, 107 days on hunger strike, suffers from sharp deterioration in his health condition.

Tadamun society demands Israel to release Palestinian elderly man
The international Tadamun (solidarity) society for human rights demanded the Israeli government to release an aged man named Sami Shaeblo, 67, due to his poor health status.
 
Protests / Solidarity / Activism / BDS
 
Palestinian and international activists block 443 highway, which connects Tel Aviv and Jerusalem through the West Bank, during a protest against the violence of the Israeli settlers, October 16, 2012. The direct action was organized in light of the increasing settler attacks against Palestinians and their properties during the current olive harvest season. 
 
A group of Palestinians shutdown an Israeli-only highway to Tel Aviv today in the West Bank. International activists supported the Palestinians at today’s peaceable action, which blocked Route 443 for approximately thirty minutes. Fifty Palestinian and roughly ten international activists blocked the highway near Beit Ur, west of Ramallah during the demonstration, which was organized by the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee. The non-violent protesters held aloft Palestinian flags and placards in Hebrew and Arabic denouncing “settler terrorism”. Also known as Modi’in Road, highway 443 is open to Palestinians only for a short section of its length. The vast majority of it is controlled by checkpoints to ensure that only those with Israeli citizenship are able to travel using it.
 
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority’s public workers union has called for full strike Wednesday and Thursday and again next week in protest of the government’s failure to pay salaries. The head of the union, Bassam Zakarneh, said Tuesday that the Palestinian Authority was allowing the United States and Israel’s pressure over the UN bid to affect the Palestinian people.  After a meeting Tuesday in Ramallah of the union’s leadership, Zakarneh said representatives of the governor and ministries discussed ways of managing the crisis. ”The employees cannot even pay for transportation to get to work,” Zakarneh said. “The union understands there is American and Israeli pressure on the Palestinian people,” he said. 
 

Austria’s Salam.Orient festival reacts to Arab artists’ pull out over Israel sponsorship, Ali Abunimah
Palestinian oud player Marwan Abado, and Tunis Air pull out, bringing to 5 number of artists who have boycotted festival.

 

Academic boycott has to be part of the BDS campaignsn

The Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement, launched by Palestinian groups in 2005, has grown, some strategies and targets have attracted more controversy than others. The academic boycott campaign is one which is still rejected or viewed with ambivalence by some who would otherwise support other forms of boycott, such as goods produced in West Bank settlements.

 

Jordan: “Obeidat” responds to the appointment of its son as ambassador to Israel
The Jordanian tribe of al-Obeidat organizes this weekend a mass festival to support Palestinian people and al-Aqsa Mosque, with the participation of hundreds of figures, in the largest village.

http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7VYu0yyFSIzHdICt5k3AXw3rn4Bd%2fuOulXRswj88DqE1lq8GEYPHoTEXzMxitUH7CTC95lLeeupyp7Ds5yTZpbcxLPF84j%2b3upD7DUTuonrE%3d

 
Human chain in Amman in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners
The Jordanian youth campaign to support the prisoners in Israeli occupation jails staged, on Monday, a sit-in in the form of a human chain in the capital city of Amman.

Sit-in in Tunisia to criminalize normalization with Israel
A number of political parties and civil society organizations in Tunisia organized, on Monday morning, a sit-in outside the National Constituent Assembly, demanding to criminalize normalization.
Video: Man assaults peaceful “Stop Apartheid” protest at Israel-Luxembourg football match, Ali Abunimah
“As long as Israel imprisons Palestinian athletes for years without charge or trial using torture, destroys sporting infrastructure and prevents Palestinian athletes from traveling abroad, it has no place in European competitions”
 
Mustafa Tamimi’s father passed away, Linah Alsaafin
Less than a year after the murder of Mustafa Tamimi from Nabi Saleh, his father passed away without seeing justice for his son.

Israeli Racism
 
Jewish settlers stage anti-Arab march in Sheikh Jarrah, harass natives
Hundreds of extremist Jewish settlers stormed Tuesday morning Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem and attacked Palestinian natives.
 
Fundamentalist MK To File Appeal Against Participation Of Arab Party In Elections
Israeli Member of Knesset (MK) David Rotem, member of the fundamentalist Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) party, headed by Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, intends to file an appeal to the Central Elections Committee demanding it to prevent the National Democratic Assembly (Balad) Arab party from participating in the upcoming Israeli elections.
 

“As I promised in the Knesset, I will work hard to disqualify Hanin Zoabi from running,” Akunis said, adding, “Israel must act with full force and determination against those who take advantage of its democracy to destroy it from within. Hanin Zoabi participated in the Mavi Marmara terror attack aimed at Israeli soldiers, and we must not allow her to return to the house of representatives of the State of Israel.”
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/160999#.UH4wNs6-x5Q

 

“We miss Gandhi today more than ever,” Knesset Speaker MK Reuven Rivlin said during the session. “We miss his honesty, a rare quality in politics today. We miss his clear, ideological voice, his leadership, his larger than life presence. Unlike many dreamers, and a long line of leaders who thought they could change the reality of this region, Gandhi was a different breed. He was the type of leader who acknowledged reality, and did not become confused between what they wanted, wished and hoped for, and between what was possible.”
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/160988#.UH47j86-x5S

 
record number of classrooms were disqualified in an annual assessment exam, a jump the country’s education minister attributed to cheating in the Arab community.  At a press conference to review the results of the system-wide test, released on Monday, Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the vast majority of those disqualified were in the non-Jewish, Arab and Bedouin populations.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/record-number-of-cheating-in-state-education-assessment-exams/
 

Segregation in the ‘democratic state’ of Israel
Ruth Edmonds is the daughter of a Jewish mother and English father. She came from a political household; both parents were environmental activists. Now 29, she is the high energy, fast talking staff person with ICAHD, (the 26 year old Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions), who is going to take us on a tour of East Jerusalem and the surrounding Jewish settlements. Her body language and ebullient speech has the urgency of someone with too much to do and not enough time. She is active in Anarchists Against the Wall, Active Stills, Boycott from Within, and ICAHD. Her youth and her commitment jolt me with a ray of optimism. Her tee shirt reads: “Replace fear of the unknown with curiosity.”

 
Flor Valderama, a 52-year-old mother of five, has appealed the deportation order through her lawyer.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/peruvian-hidden-jew-in-israel-to-care-for-family-awaits-deportation.premium-1.470421?localLinksEnabled=false
 
The Palestinian Authority
 
Abbas met in-camera with Barak
PA chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas met with Israeli war minister Ehud Barak in the Jordanian capital Amman last Thursday, a senior PA official said.
 
Abbas sends letter to Obama, saying he is ready to resume Israel talks if his UN bid succeeds; U.S. envoy to UN says Monday that Palestinian status bid jeopardizes peace process.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinians-un-recognition-would-foster-peace-with-israel-1.470384?localLinksEnabled=false

NABLUS (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority security services have confiscated documents and weapons belonging to Hamas’ military wing in the West Bank, an official said Tuesday. A security official told Ma’an that the preventive security force uncovered a stash of documents, computers, CDs and ammunition belonging to the Al-Qassam Brigades in an apartment in a residential block in west Nablus.  The official described the stash as the brigade’s “complete archives” in the West Bank. The discovery followed a lengthy investigation and surveillance, the official said on condition of anonymity. He declined to give further details as the investigation is ongoing. Hamas said Monday that 10 of its supporters were detained in the West Bank over the past 24 hours. Three others were summoned for questioning, a Hamas statement said. Fatah, which dominates the West Bank government, also released a statement saying Hamas’ government in Gaza had summoned its spokesman in the territory.
 
Adnan Samara declares hunger strike in PA prisons
The political prisoner in PA prisons and liberated captive from Israeli jails, Adnan Samara, has gone on an open hunger strike on Saturday protesting against his continued political detention.
 
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A former adviser to President Yasser Arafat on Saturday accused Israel of working to replace the current president behind the scenes. Bassam Abu Sharif said Israeli officials were making calls to Palestinian figures in Israeli jail to scope out a successor to President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as to people close to the president. He said it reminded him of the time of Arafat, when Israeli officials made the same calls to replace the president, who was regarded by Israel as a terrorist. Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman sparked outrage among Palestinians after calling for Palestinian elections to usher in new leaders in an Aug. 20 letter to US, EU, Russian and UN leaders. The former bouncer from Moldova has repeatedly called Abbas “the biggest obstacle to peace.” Abbas’ aides say Lieberman’s comments, which have been disavowed by other members of the Israeli government, constitute incitement and they are looking at ways to file a lawsuit against him.
 
Political Developments / Other News
 
The Jewish majority is history
Amid a dry economic report published yesterday in TheMarker lies an official announcement/acknowledgment of unparalleled importance: The government of Israel confirms that between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River there is no longer a Jewish majority. In other words, in the territory under Israel’s jurisdiction a situation of apartheid exists. A Jewish minority rules over an Arab majority. 
http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/the-jewish-majority-is-history.premium-1.470233
 
Rice on the warpath against Hezbollah at the UN, Annie Robbins
Both U.S. and Israeli ambassadors to the UN addressed Hezbollah at the UN Security Council meeting yesterday after Hezbollah Secretary General Hasan Nasrallah confirmed on Saturday it was Hezbollah who sent the drone shot down by Israel. U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice’s remarks centered on Lebanon’s relationship with Syria. She accused Hezbollah of being part of Assad’s “killing machine” and Nasrallah of carrying out a “deadly form of deception” regarding Lebanese national interests. She also urged other security council members to “expose Hezbollah’s deepening involvement in Assad’s war.”

Iran claims ‘dozens’ of its drones have spied on Israel
A senior Iranian military official claimed Tuesday that Iranian-made surveillance drones have made dozens of apparently undetected flights into Israeli airspace from Lebanon in recent years to probe air defenses and collect reconnaissance data.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-claims-dozens-of-its-drones-have-spied-on-israel/

 
Iran’s defense minister said Sunday that Hezbollah’s launch of a drone into Israeli airspace earlier this week proves the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities, state TV reported.

Iranian Drone Downed 10 Miles from Dimona, Likely Transmitted Images of Nuclear Site to Iran, Richard Silverstein
Iran’s message to Israel regarding the drone it sent deep into Israeli airspace last week: two can play at this game.  Just as Israel has assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists and sabotaged its nuclear facilities with computer worms and sabotaging electricity lines, Iran can target Israel’s most sensitive sites almost at will.

 
IDF ups security measures along Israel-Egypt border
Military deploys sophisticated sensor system along new fence, volatile Dune sector. Deployment moved up following increase in Sinai-based terror threats.
 
Middle East: Antiaircraft Missile is Fired From Gaza, Israeli Officials Say
Israeli defense officials said that Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have for the first time fired an antiaircraft missile at Israeli aircraft.
 
In a meeting with EU ambassadors, the prime minister expressed little sympathy with voices in Egypt calling for a review of the peace accord with Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in weekly cabinet meeting that there are ‘daily attempts’ to infiltrate the country’s computer systems.
 
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – The Palestinians fended off on Tuesday U.S. criticism of their bid for upgraded status at the United Nations, saying the move would improve prospects for a peace accord with Israel, not damage them. Having failed last year to win recognition of full statehood at the world body, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas now seeks a less ambitious promotion to “non-member state”, which would likely be approved by a vote in the U.N. General Assembly. Israel sees the Palestinian campaign as an attempt to circumvent bilateral negotiations deadlocked since 2010 over its Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem – opposition echoed by the United States. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Abbas had sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday defending the U.N. drive and reiterating his commitment to peacefully establishing a sovereign Palestine alongside Israel.
 

The Obama administration is working to derail the Palestinian effort within the United Nations to upgrade their diplomatic presence to a “non-member state.”

 
Administration of Facebook closes the account of Hamas leader Mohammed Nazzal
Activists on Facebook said that they have not been able, on Monday, to access to the Facebook page of Mohammad Nazzal, a Hamas leading figure.
 

Forum of journalists slams PA, Israel for press freedom violations
The forum of Palestinian journalists strongly denounced the Palestinian authority and the Israeli regime for their restrictions on the freedom of the press in the West Bank.

Israel: Gaza militants fired anti-aircraft missile
Israeli defense officials say that Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have for the first time fired an anti-aircraft missile at Israeli aircraft.
 
Second Ad Featuring PM Netanyahu Airs in Florida

A new ad featuring Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is set to hit the airwaves in Florida.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32757.htm

PA welcomes Israel’s failure to get Universal Postal Union role
The Palestinian Authority has welcomed the news that that Israel has failed in its bid for re-election to the Council of Administration of the Universal Postal Union (UPU); Israel was a member for the past four years. “This,” said the PA’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, “is a victory for Palestine in general and for the Gaza Strip in particular.” The PA pointed out that Israel has imposed a suffocating siege on Gaza for seven years and prevented the flow of mail from the Occupied Palestinian Territories to the outside world.
 

Report: Israeli students’ performance in math, science slipping
Education Ministry’s performance index published shows average scores of Israeli students steadily slipping.

 
Analysis / Op-ed / Human Interest
 

Olive harvest begins
The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture opened the annual olive harvest season in the Gaza Strip on Monday. Ministry officials also watched the olive pressing process as part of a recently sanctioned and implemented monitoring programme.  The start of the harvest was marked by a national celebration attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Ali Abdul Aziz al-Tarshawi, deputies from the Palestinian Legislative Council, and representatives of local municipalities, civil society organisations and agricultural groups, as well as farmers.

 

Revealed: BBC correspondent portrayed Palestinian collaborator as peace activist, Asa Winstanley
How can we trust the media when it deliberately misrepresents Palestinian voices?

Drones Over Israel, Steve Niva
Two stories regarding Israel and drones appeared last week, illustrating both the dangerous new world of drone proliferation and Israel’s major role in making that possible.
 
Where were the Palestinian voices at the Russell Tribunal on Palestine?
The Russell Tribunal is meant to expose and provide accountability for human rights abuses committed by Israel against Palestinians. But in privileging ‘expert’ voices over those of the victims, does it actually reinforce dominant power structures?
http://972mag.com/where-were-the-palestinian-voices-at-the-russell-tribunal-on-palestine/57506/

How Legalese Can Help Free Palestine, Matt Meyer
What does it take to break a ‘crime of silence’? That was the stated purpose for Bertrand Russell’s original 1966 International War Crimes Tribunal on the Vietnam War, just as it was for last weekend’s New York session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine. Though some activists see such public reviews as overly mired in legalese, this kind of tribunal — like similar past efforts relating to seemingly intractable scenarios such as apartheid in South Africa and colonialism in Puerto Rico — provides a unique opportunity to bolster broad, grassroots coalitions. Understanding the potential of these efforts is vital in order to break the very real silence around Palestine, both among activists and in society as a whole.
 
“If Anybody here, came hoping to hear a balanced presentation, then they are going to be sorely disappointed. I say this, because a lot of the things that you are about to hear to night are difficult to hear.”
“Miko Peled is a peace activist who dares to say in public what others still choose to deny. He has credibility, so when he debunks myths that Jews around the world hold with blind loyalty, people listen. Miko was born in Jerusalem in 1961 into a well known Zionist family. His grandfather, Dr. Avraham Katsnelson was a Zionist leader and signer on the Israeli Declaration of Independence. His father, Matti Peled was a young officer in the war of 1948 and a general in the war of 1967 when Israel conquered the West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights and the Sinai.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32739.htm
 

More evidence corroborates that Israeli Ofer Engel faked Palestinian activists online, Benjamin Doherty
We reaffirm that Ofer Engel deceptively operated accounts impersonating Palestinians and insinuated himself into activist networks.

Gaza real estate ads among many gems in Sydney photo show
Beyond the Last Sky showcases the work of ten Palestinian artists in a provocative show which highlights the discrimination and hardship of the Palestinian experience. This exhibition is now on display at the Australian Centre of Photography in Sydney. Strikingly, almost all of the exhibited work is in some way an appropriation of existing images and scenarios, from the Mona Lisa to YouTube suicide bomber videos to real estate advertising. The artists have decided that the best way to communicate the Palestinian struggle to a comfortable Western audience is to provide images which are immediately recognizable to the Western eye, and then dislocate the viewer into an understanding of the Palestinians’ own surreal oppression.


Ayoub, Asad AbuKhalil

Ayoub is a new name in the Arab political lexicon. It is the name of Hezbollah’s spy plane, which was named after one of its own “martyrs.” The speech by Nasrallah intended to take responsibility for the plane that was downed by Israeli fighter jets. Israel, typical of its propaganda, did not tell the truth. It was embarrassed to admit its failure to detect the plane, and Israeli media are very cautious in probing the failures and shortcomings of the Israeli military-intelligence apparatus.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/blogs/angry-corner/ayoub?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AlAkhbarEnglish+%28Al+Akhbar+English%29

Hezbollah today took credit for the drone which penetrated 35 miles into Israeli airspace last week and came with 18 miles of overflying Israel’s top-secret Dimona nuclear weapons facility before being shot down.  It said the drone had been produced in Iran and launched by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon.  Much of this had been surmised and reported here and elsewhere.
 
www.TheHeadlines.Org