Israeli settler opens fire on schoolboys, wounding two 16-year-olds

Land Theft and Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing
80 olive trees uprooted in Walaja
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli bulldozers began overturning agricultural land and uprooting trees in the Al-Walaja, a village south of Jerusalem inside the 1967 Green Line, Palestinian landowners said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=290450

Israel uproots 100 trees in WB
West Bank, June 8, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces uprooted today tens of olive trees in Al-Loja town, in west of the West Bank city of Bethlehem.  The president of Al-Loja town, Saleh Khalifa, said the Israeli vehicles uprooted 100 olive and cypress trees which were planted for more than 100 years.  He added that the Israeli occupation has been bulldozing the area since two months to continue building some parts of the apartheid wall.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/6336-israel-uproots-100-trees-in-wb

Israeli Troops Issue 10-day Eviction Orders To Palestinians In Jordan Valley
Five Palestinian families in the Jordan Valley, in the eastern part of the West Bank, received eviction orders from the Israeli military on Sunday, just days after Israeli settlers set up an illegal outpost on the families’ land and took over a water well in the area. The eviction orders told the families to vacate their homes and land within ten days so that Israeli troops could occupy it.
http://www.imemc.org/article/58881

Two More Families To Be Evicted From Sheikh Jarrah
The Kanabi and Siyam-Idkadk families recently received 45-day eviction notices, adding to the growing list of Palestinian residents being forced from their homes in East Jerusalem. The small neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah is at the frontline of Israel’s efforts to Judaise the would-be Palestinian capital with dozens of permanent settlers installed, scores of forced evictions and weekly protests held in opposition. On Sunday, Palestine Monitor met with the latest families to be faced with losing their homes. Reporting from Michael Carpenter.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1439

At Home With The Homeless
Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem. Since 2008, 70 Palestinians from four extended families have been evicted from their homes. On May 29th, The Siyam-Idkadk and Kanabi families became the latest to be served with the dreaded document, instructing them to vacate the premises within 45 days or face crippling fines of 350 NIS per day. Photography by Rebecca Fudala.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1440

Solidarity/Activism/Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment
The village of Al-Ma’sara shows their solidarity with the martyrs of the Freedom Flotilla
June 6th, 2010– On June 4th, 2010, the village of Al-Ma’sara’s regular weekly protest against the Apartheid Wall became a solidarity march with the martyrs of the Freedom Flotilla. Protestors raised flags of the countries that participated in the multilateral humanitarian effort to end the siege in Gaza and marched with a model ship.
http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2282.shtml

Foreign activist detained in Beit Jala march
Four Palestinians were treated for breathing difficulties while a foreign activist was detained and severely beaten for participating in the weekly peaceful anti wall march in Beit Jala.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7YCc476HX6AF6P6QPD6lmTruVsxJrYfzvjZr60vnty2xbvVtdL1kxEpzoIM7FT4LPGvB8wTFPZ2P2I%2f3SVrPsgOHwls%2f2hjmN4QhV%2ftCdLBE%3d

Arab artists delegation to visit Gaza
Gaza – Ma’an – The Palestinian Artists Union said Monday that all preparations were complete to receive a visiting delegation of Arab artists to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.  Head of the Palestinian union Zakariyah Zein Ad-Din said "the visit is within the context of continued efforts to break the siege on Gaza and to show that artists care for Gaza, the Palestinian issue, and want to help solve the conflict."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=290259

Part 1: Huwaida Arraf interviewed 7-06-2010.wmv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WMPrYZNl1U&feature=player_embedded

Part 2 Huwaida Arraf interviewed 7-06-2010.wmv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kD52iVGQxA&feature=player_embedded

Gaza activist denies ‘terrorist’ tag
Israeli authorities are defying international criticism of last week’s raid on the Gaza aid flotilla, in which nine people were killed. They are now claiming that five passengers on board the Mavi Marmara were "active terrorists". Israel’s "terrorist" list includes two Turks, one French, and two US citizens. Ken O’Keefe, a former US marine, who is on the list, is accused of being a "radical anti-Israel activist" whom the Israelis say wanted to "train a commando unit" for Hamas. But speaking to Al Jazeera’s Veronica Pedrosa, O’Keefe denied the allegation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z82VocK-C8c&feature=youtube_gdata
    
Flotilla Captain Tells of High Israeli Aggression toward Female Passengers
06/06/2010 The captain of one of six boats in a flotilla raided by Israeli occupation forces to prevent aid reaching Gaza said commandos roughed up women passengers and humiliated others, in an interview published Sunday. "It was traumatic; we were obviously expecting some hassle from the Israelis — but nothing like they dished out," the 55-year-old Cyprus-based British skipper, Denis Healey, told the Cyprus Mail.  He said that at about 4:00 am (0100 GMT) last Monday, as the aid flotilla steamed towards Gaza but while still in international waters, he saw the lights of Israeli patrol boats and helicopters. "We were travelling at around 18 knots, so we managed to hold them off for about 20 minutes; then they sent one of their bigger steel vessels so I thought they were going to ram us or shoot us with the gun on the front," Healey said.
http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=140860&language=en

Challenger I passengers: Commandos shot first
Tel Aviv – Ma’an – Alex Harrison, a British activist who participated in the Freedom Flotilla, was on the neighboring Challenger I when the Israeli army overtook the Mavi Marmara, leaving at least nine activists dead and dozens injured.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=290391

Remembering is not enough
For Holocaust survivor and Palestine solidarity activist Hedy Epstein, Remembering Is Not Enough is both the title of her autobiography and her life’s credo.  Hedy, now 85, last saw her parents and extended family on May 18, 1939, at the age of 14, when she was sent from her native Germany on a kindertransport to Britain. Her entire family was denied emigration and was killed in the Auschwitz concentration camps.  Epstein has been working from Cyprus with the Free Gaza Movement, and many of her colleagues were among the activists on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla that was attempting to bring humanitarian aid to the 1.5 million people under siege in Gaza when it was assaulted in international waters by the Israeli military. Sherry Wolf spoke to Hedy from Cyprus on June 3.
http://socialistworker.org/2010/06/08/remembering-is-not-enough

A Jew explains why he is leading flotilla protest
This afternoon at 5 in Middletown, Orange County, New York, a demonstration will be held to oppose the attack on the Gaza flotilla. Details below. One of the organizers is Goshen, N.Y., lawyer and activist Michael Sussman, who sent out this letter…
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/a-jew-explains-why-he-is-leading-flotilla-protest.html

Spanish activists to prosecute Israel for its attack on Freedom Flotilla
Two Spanish activists intend to file a lawsuit against Israel for its deadly attack on Freedom Flotilla convoy, which led to the murder of nine civilian passengers and the injury of many others.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7h9eaaNTH1OHsS5l1xiYqx1VeXxoIR%2f1%2fL%2bpFX0f1t7WYw1H%2fX2qv8skkts%2fos3CchTxNqJrSh1GVN5oeC6TeMFtzj%2brO3nLUM%2bC1fKA0Dqo%3d

Lawsuit Filed Against State of Israel Following Flotilla Massacre
A French lawyer, Lillian Glock, has filed two lawsuits against the State of Israel on grounds of kidnapping and detention without reason.
http://www.imemc.org/article/58886

Spanish pride parade doesn’t want Israelis
Sources say pro-Palestinian groups led Madrid to cancel invitation extended to LGBT delegation.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3901785,00.html

Palestinian trade unionists call on dockworkers to block Israeli trade
The Palestinian trade union movement, as a key constituent member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC), calls on dockworkers’ unions worldwide to block Israeli maritime trade in response to Israel’s massacre of humanitarian relief workers and activists aboard the Freedom Flotilla, until Israel complies with international law and ends its illegal blockade of Gaza.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11323.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29

Activists call on public to boycott Israeli goods
FIVE IRISH citizens who were deported from Israel yesterday morning after their ship was taken over by Israeli defence forces have called on the Irish people to boycott Israeli goods until the blockade of Gaza is ended.  They have also called on the Government to put pressure on the EU to suspend the Euro-Med trade agreement with Israel. They have asked for the return of their boat, the MV Rachel Corrie , and for the humanitarian aid aboard all of the flotilla vessels, “rotting in the harbour” at Ashdod, to be sent to the people of Gaza.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0608/1224272053348.html

Our tax dollars got a real workout last week–so why is the military aid check still so fat?
Just to state the obvious–this past week has put U.S. complicity in war crimes and acts of aggression committed by the Israeli military on display once again. Just a few examples of how hard your tax money was working this past week to violate human rights.
http://endtheoccupationblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/our-tax-dollars-got-real-workout-last.html

American hurt in West Bank protest is back in US (AP)
AP – A San Francisco Bay-area photojournalist is back in the United States after 15 months of treatment for a brain injury he suffered during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the West Bank.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100607/ap_on_re_us/us_israel_american_wounded

Protests in USA Say "End The Blockade On Gaza"
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1437

UK anti-Israel protests spread to Egyptian embassy
mms://217.218.67.244/presstv/20100607/OUTPUT_01-22-00-SNG-FAREENA-LONDON.wmv

Violence and Aggression
Death toll rises to 6 after Israeli navy shoots Palestinian divers off Gaza
JERUSALEM — The bodies of two more Palestinians, whom the Israeli navy shot dead at sea, washed up on the Gaza Strip’s shore Tuesday, bringing the death toll from the incident to six.
http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=b3c74b8bf847408426395df50acb738b

Hell’s Gate at Aroub Camp
A slew of settler-related violence struck the Hebron area last week. Two Palestinians died in separate incidents with settler vehicles on Sunday and Wednesday. Thursday morning an Israeli settler seriously injuring two 16-year-old boys after opening fire on a group of teenagers walking home from school. The unidentified shooter turned himself into Israeli authorities on Thursday night. Palestine Monitor interviewed one of the victims, Ibrahim Muhammad Biss at Al-Ahli hospital (Hebron), where he is recovering from a bullet wound to the abdomen. His close friend, Moataz Musa Omran Benat, remains in critical condition.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1438

PCHR calls for probe into blast critically injuring Rafah child
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Palestinian Center for Human Rights called for an investigations into the causes of a blast that left a child with critical injuries in the southern Gaza town of Rafah last Sunday, a statement read.  According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 6am on 6 June, an unknown object exploded in a area had used for training by resistance groups in Al-Mawasi, west of Rafah. As a result, Mohammed Fayez Dehleez, 15, was seriously wounded, resulting in the amputation of his legs and hand.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=290356

Detainees
Israel detains two Palestinian boys in WB
West Bank, June 7, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces detained yesterday evening two Palestinian boys in Bethlehem and Hebron in the West Bank.  Israeli forces detained the boy Ahmad Abu Amira at one of the entrances of Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi under the pretext of finding a knife with him.  In Bethlehem, Israeli occupation force detain a boy, his name is unknown, under the pretext of throwing stones at settlers’ cars.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/6319-israel-detains-two-palestinian-boys-in-wb

Israel detains 6 Palestinians in Hebron
Hebron, June 7, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained six Palestinians in Bait Omar and Al-Aroub camp in the West Bank city of Hebron.  Local sources reported that Israeli occupation forces detain three citizens in Al-Aroub camp. Ali Al-Badwi, Nour Al-Badwi and Ahmed Al-Badwi were detained after raiding their houses by the IOF.  IOF raided Bait Omar and detained Tamer Awad, 23, Saif Bhaer, 26 and Wasem Wahden, 15, the source added.
Clashes erupted in Bait Omar between the citizen and Israeli soldiers. They fired gas bombs toward the citizens which resulted in suffocating number of the citezens.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/6322-israel-detains-6-palestinians-in-hebron

IOF soldiers detain 10 citizens in West Bank, 10 Jerusalemites
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested ten Palestinian citizens in the districts of Al-Khalil, Nablus, Ramallah, and Jenin at dawn Tuesday.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7fYtDL%2fVdtwus6I553GLruHejnAwEP%2fJnRYQAUO%2bI1hTB5uFnkEna1uQ0OmLsL3rx5dluwu%2fNCsxbGfcOHHNTHn%2by%2bkFL%2bBh9HOVMvm4zooY%3d

Humanitarian Issues
In Brief: Destroying the last remnants of Gaza war
GAZA CITY Tuesday, June 08, 2010 (IRIN) – The UN Mine Action Team (UNMAT) in Gaza has completed the destruction of white phosphorus ordnance left over from the Israeli “Cast Lead” military operation in the Gaza Strip between December 2008 and January 2009.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=89395

The Siege
Counting the Cost – Israel’s grip on Gaza
On this week’s Counting the Cost: Israel’s blockade of Gaza, ties between Israel and Turkey and global credit rating agencies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hr0HQX-JNs&feature=youtube_gdata

Israel keeping basic goods out of Gaza: rights group (AFP)
AFP – An Israeli rights group on Tuesday said the military is still preventing basic goods like vinegar, coriander and toys from entering Gaza as part of a crippling embargo on the Hamas-run territory.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100608/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictgazaeconomyrights

DWO: Lift the siege on Gaza now
Doctors of the World Organization (DWO) called for lifting Gaza blockade in order to improve the living and health conditions of its inhabitants in the long-term.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7JmsNg%2fS6bldZzqd1APZt912Qx0S188gMHkHdd2y6k5UaoOfaR06Wey3AJbhgrMlCZvo8OivqfPAZsRX2AOeBZBscFsKCSUoY3K5CcF1FbQo%3d

‘Syria, Turkey to cooperate to remove Gaza siege’
Damascus sources say Syrian president proposed new initiative to Turkish PM to use international pressure on Israel in order to lift Gaza blockade.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3902100,00.html

Israel’s Arab Helpers
Gaza barrier to be completed by end summer: Egypt official (AFP)
AFP – Egyptian construction of an underground barrier on the border with the Gaza Strip will be completed "by the end of the summer," a security official said on Monday.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100607/wl_mideast_afp/israelconflictgazaegyptbarrier

Egypt Prevents Nine Parliamentarians from Entering Gaza
The Egyptian Authorities stopped nine Egyptian Legislators at the Rafah Terminal who were trying to deliver construction supplies to Gaza.
http://www.imemc.org/article/58884

Turkey’s support of Hamas worries PA

The Palestinian Authority is concerned about Turkey’s increased support for Hamas, a PA official in Ramallah said on Monday.  The official said that the PA leadership was “unhappy” with Turkey’s policy toward Hamas, especially with regard to pressure to lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip unconditionally. “Turkey’s policy is emboldening Hamas and undermining the Palestinian Authority,” the official told The Jerusalem Post.
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=177779

Palestinian minister: Boycott only against settlement products
Finance minister says PA enjoys excellent economic ties with Israel, wants to expand cooperation.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3901780,00.html

Hamas says PA forces detain 8 supporters
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Hamas accused Palestinian Authority Preventative Security Services of detaining eight of the movement’s affiliates in the West Bank, a party statement read Tuesday.  The supporters were detained in Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron, the statement read.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=290429

Israel’s Attack on Humanitarian Convoy/Political Fallout and Other Flotilla News
Turkey pushes for condemnation of Israel (AFP)
AFP – Turkey sought a fresh condemnation of Israel over its deadly raid on Gaza-bound aid ships as regional leaders gathered in Istanbul Tuesday to discuss security in Asia.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100608/wl_mideast_afp/israelgazaconflictturkeydiplomacy

Erdogan to Assad: Israel Will Pay for Freedom Flotilla Crime
07/06/2010 A week after the Israeli massacre against a Gaza-bound Turkish ship, which left nine people martyred, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured Syrian President Bachar Assad that the Israeli enemy will pay for its massacre.  At a joint press conference in Istanbul with Assad, Erdogan said that his government was prepared to supply the Gaza Strip with "everything it needs," adding that Israel’s blockade of the Gaza strip must end immediately.  "What happened on the flotilla is a crime against humanity," Erdogan said, referring to the Israel Navy raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship last week that left nine Turkish nationals dead. "Palestine and Gaza are a giant prison and this situation cannot continue," he said. "We can no longer remain silent and we will not be silent anymore regarding anything having to do with Gaza.
 http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=141033&language=en

Erdogan: Time for action against Israel
The Turkish prime minister says it is not enough to merely condemn Israel’s attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy, calling for a firm response to Tel Aviv.
http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=352630

Turkey’s diplomatic offensive against Israel gains Muslim steam
Assad: Syria prepared to act against Israel’s siege of Gaza; Erdogan: Turkey can give Gaza everything it needs if Israel lifts siege.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/turkey-s-diplomatic-offensive-against-israel-gains-muslim-steam-1.294662?localLinksEnabled=false

Crisis may hurt Turkish-Israeli trade (Reuters)
Reuters – The Gaza flotilla crisis between Israel and Turkey could disrupt a $3 billion trade channel that has been central to their once-strong alliance, Israeli and Turkish officials said on Monday.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100607/ts_nm/us_israel_flotilla_turkey_trade

Senior Israeli Army Commander: Turkish Attempt To Break The Siege Would Be “Act of War”
A senior commander in the the Israeli military has stated that he believes that action taken by the Turkish government in protecting an upcoming flotilla to Gaza would be considered an act of war.
http://www.imemc.org/article/58879

Israel’s attack on Flotilla violates international law
In the aftermath of Israel’s 31 May attack on the Freedom Flotilla that left nine dead and scores wounded, each side claimed their actions were protected under international law. While the Israelis cited self-defense, and the Flotilla passengers reiterated that they were peace activists on a humanitarian mission that were attacked in international waters where neither Israel (nor any other state) has any claim. Jinan Bastaki comments for The Electronic Intifada.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11322.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29

See also:  Links and Video about the Gaza Freedom Flotilla
http://theonlydemocracy.org/2010/06/links-and-video-about-the-gaza-freedom-flotilla/

Beatings, Abuse, Doctored Evidence Emerge
Allegation of a possible shoot-to-kill policy, amidst autopsies revealing repeated gun shots to the heads of the victims, are also part of an emerging pattern.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=51737

Kucinich cong’l letter says Israeli raid on flotilla endangers ‘lives of American soldiers’
Dennis Kucinich is circulating a great letter on the flotilla attack that is already getting pushback from the National Jewish Democratic Council, which calls it "reckless." Notice the emphasis on the strategic liability that Israel now represents. Wonder if he’ll get any signatures. Excerpts follow.
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/kucinich-congl-letter-says-israeli-raid-on-flotilla-endangers-lives-of-american-soldiers.html

Malaysian premier condemns Israel as ‘gangsters’ (AFP)
AFP – Malaysia’s prime minister on Monday condemned Israel as "world gangsters" and said it should face the International Criminal Court over the deadly Gaza aid flotilla attack.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100607/wl_mideast_afp/israelconflictgazamalaysia

Pan-Islamic group tells members to review Israel ties (AFP)
AFP – The Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the world’s largest Muslim grouping, has appealed to its members to review their ties with Israel over a deadly assault on a Gaza aid convoy.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100607/wl_mideast_afp/israelconflictgazaoic

Egypt confirms: We broke Gaza blockade
Cairo says Rafah crossing to remain open for humanitarian aid, restricted travel. ‘We are not going to let the occupying power escape from its responsibilities,’ Foreign Ministry spokesman says. Nine parliamentarians cross into Strip to ‘express support for residents’.

Jordan asks Israel to return seized passports (AFP)
AFP – Jordan said on Monday it has asked Israel to return passports seized from Jordanians who were among passengers of the Gaza aid flotilla intercepted in a raid which cost nine lives last week.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100607/wl_mideast_afp/israelconflictgazajordan

Knesset panel recommends revoking Arab MK’s privileges
Decision to strip Balad MK Hanin Zuabi of privileges over Gaza flotilla participation passed by a majority of seven to one; Zuabi to Haaretz: We are victims of a witch hunt.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/knesset-panel-recommends-revoking-arab-mk-s-privileges-1.294669?localLinksEnabled=false

Senator Kerry: Israel not liability for US
Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee tells ABC that despite policy-related tensions, Jewish state ‘has every right in the world to make certain that weapons are not being smuggled into Gaza’.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3900881,00.html

Israel awaiting ‘green light’ from U.S. for internal Gaza flotilla probe
IDF announced that it will conduct its own internal investigation into last week’s botched raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-awaiting-green-light-from-u-s-for-internal-gaza-flotilla-probe-1.294786?localLinksEnabled=false

Israeli Pressures MV Rachel Corrie Passengers Not to Sue
As the activists kidnapped by the Israeli navy in international waters begin to be repatriated, sources in Israel claim that the process was delayed because the passengers of the MV Rachel Corrie would not sign documents pledging not to sue after their release. In the meantime, Israel is continuing to detain eight people from the Irish-flagged ship.  The Rachel Corrie was carrying eleven activists from Ireland, Malaysia, Britain, Cuba and the Philippines, plus a crew of eight. Around 550 tonnes of humanitarian aid was on board when it was stopped by the Israeli navy and forced to sail to Ashdod instead of Gaza.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/europe/1122-israel-pressures-mv-rachel-corrie-passengers-not-to-sue

Other Political Developments
Israel asked U.S. to increase weapons supply, Haaretz learns
Air force seeking more JDAM bombs, and larger emergency stores held by American army.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-asked-u-s-to-increase-weapons-supply-haaretz-learns-1.294803?localLinksEnabled=false

See above… Are American Weapons "benign?"   US doubts Iran has ‘benign’ intentions for Gaza (AFP)
AFP – The United States on Monday questioned the Iranian Red Crescent’s decision to send aid ships to Gaza, saying Tehran’s intentions toward the Palestinian territory were not "benign."
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100607/pl_afp/israelconflictgazairanus

Obama’s new vision of Jewish state guarantees rights of Israeli Arabs
New National Security Strategy defines two-state solution in a way that differs from the terminology used by previous American administrations.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/obama-s-new-vision-of-jewish-state-guarantees-rights-of-israeli-arabs-1.294787?localLinksEnabled=false

Obama to meet Abbas as Gaza fallout mounts (AFP)
AFP – Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will ask President Barack Obama Wednesday for "bold decisions" on the Middle East but US-led peace moves face a torrid climate after Israel’s Gaza flotilla raid.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100608/pl_afp/uspoliticsdiplomacymideast

Other News
Tibi gets threatening letter
New York-based Pulsa Di Nura organization sends Arab MK letter saying, ‘You have 180 days to live. Your sudden death will be accompanied by terrible suffering and agony’.

Bnei Brak signs: Don’t employ Arabs

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3900004,00.html

Abbas forces Sheikh Tamimi into retirement
Bethlehem – Ma’an – President Mahmoud Abbas announced the end of Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi’s career as Palestinian Chief Justice and Supreme Judge on Monday, with sources citing corruption charges brought forward by whistle-blower Fahmi Shabana months earlier.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=290148

Inside Story – Egyptian-Israeli relations
Three decades after a peace treaty was signed between Egypt and Israel, Egypt’s supreme court has upheld a ruling that strips Egyptian men married to Jewish Israeli women of their Egyptian citizenship. On this episode of Inside Story, we ask if relations between the two countries will ever truly be normalised.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VARFH36coHQ&feature=youtube_gdata

Leftist Tali Fahima converts to Islam
Woman who had affair with al-Aqsa Brigades commander Zubeidi, served time for aiding terrorists converts to Islam at Umm al-Fahm mosque. ‘From now on she is a full-fledged Muslim,’ sheikh says.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3902175,00.html

Racist rabbi dead, advocated genocide against Palestinians
Mordechai Elyahu, one of Israel’s most racist and fascist-minded rabbis, died Monday, at the age of 81, Israeli sources reported.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7XwG2Eg%2bg62nQNvDapAglYknz9VkYWJ2ncx6%2bkudfIsWJIcEeU8OdnmjQvOxKPTA6ziqX8153cOuzLEO82ZhTF%2bvLGnRXKU9XYyV2QZIKLmY%3d

Jewish settlers clash with Israeli police (AFP)
AFP – Israeli police came under attack by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, after authorities demolished two buildings put up by settlers without authorisation, police said.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100608/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictsettler

Spain: Pro-Palestinian activists attack Israeli businessmen
Conference held by Spain-Israel Chamber of Commerce at Madrid’s Autonomous University cut short after 200 protestors burst into hall chanting, ‘Murderers, get out of Gaza’; one Israeli lightly wounded when police vehicle stoned.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3902046,00.html

Media Bias
Pundits in Denial on Gaza Plight: ‘No humanitarian crisis,’ some media figures claim
The May 31 Israeli attack on the Free Gaza humanitarian flotilla has returned some media attention to the humanitarian crisis faced by 1.5 million Palestinians living under Israeli blockade in the Gaza Strip. But some media figures have sought to deny the existence of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza at all.
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4090

Richard Greener: Helen Thomas Is Out Of Work – Good Thing We’ve Got A "Free" Press Here
Good thing we’ve got a "free" press here.  Helen Thomas is out of work. She’s an old lady. She bad-mouthed Israel and the Jews. She’s out of work.  Pat Buchanan is still working. He said, "This has been a country built, basically, by white folks." Forgetting about 248 years of the official enslavement of millions of Africans upon whose backs and corpses the entire South was built; the nearly slave, forced labor of the Chinese who constructed, by hand, the transcontinental railroad; and the massive contributions of people of many colors throughout the 20th century, including all the non-Caucasian war dead – none of these omissions cost Pat his job. But then, Buchanan isn’t an old lady and he didn’t say a single bad word about Israel or the Jews. He’s still working.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greener/helen-thomas-is-out-of-wo_b_603618.html

Footage From Several Rallies Supporting The Murder of Humanitarian Activists
Pro-IDF, Anti-Turkish Rally in Tel Aviv (or a Glimpse Into Collective Israeli Derangement)
On June 1, 2010, thousands of Israelis gathered spontaneously in front of the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv to demonstrate in support of the Israeli Naval commando unit that killed nine passengers on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish-backed boat from the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Egged on by the Israeli government and media, the demonstrators lashed out at Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his support of the Marmara, accusing him and passengers on the ship of terrorist ties. Besides with the massacre of Turkish aid workers, the spectacle of massive Israeli protests against Turkey threatens to permanently rupture Israel’s ties to its closest Muslim ally and further isolate the country on the world stage.
http://maxblumenthal.com/2010/06/pro-idf-anti-turkish-rally-in-tel-aviv-or-a-glimpse-into-collective-israeli-derangement/

Stand With Us members shout Pigs for Palestine, threaten activists in San Francisco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mqf5caEh00&feature=player_embedded

Analysis/Opinion
How to end the blockade of Gaza, Stephen M. Walt
Back in May 1967, the Egyptian government led by Gamal Abdel Nasser ordered a blockade of the Straits of Tiran, cutting off Israeli shipping in the Gulf of Aqaba. This action crossed a "red line" for Israel, and was a major escalatory step in the crisis that led to the Six Day War. President Lyndon Johnson considered sending U.S. warships or some sort of international flotilla to challenge the blockade and defuse the crisis. But even though the United States had previously given Israel certain assurances about protecting freedom of navigation in the straits, Johnson ultimately declined to take decisive action to defend Israel’s navigation rights. The United States was already bogged down in Vietnam and Johnson feared getting trapped in another volatile conflict. So he dithered, and Israel ultimately chose to go to war instead.
http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/06/07/how_to_end_the_blockade_of_gaza

Obama should choose right over self-interest
Words fail me when it comes to describing how I feel about Israel’s murder of civilians in international waters. There were over 600 men, women, children and a 1-year-old infant on the "Mavi Mamara" – one of six aid ships sailing to Gaza under the banner of the Free Gaza Movement in hopes of breaking the cruel, illegal blockade.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=115696

Israel’s Flotilla Massacre: Made in the USA,  Phyllis Bennis
Decades of uncritical U.S. support—including, most recently, the Bush-initiated and Obama-implemented commitment of $30 billion of U.S. tax money in military aid to Israel over a decade–has ensured that Israel’s military power (nuclear and conventional) remains unchallengeable.
http://www.otherwords.org/articles/israels_flotilla_massacre_made_in_the_usa

Queen Rania of Jordan: The Hard-Line on Grocery Items, Queen Rania of Jordan
What do chocolate, cookies, A4 paper, potato chips, cumin, toys, jelly, nuts, dried fruit, nutmeg, and goats have in common?  It’s a tricky one. If you’re a moderate, they have absolutely nothing in common. But if you are a hard-line Israeli politician, they are all potentially dangerous goods that could threaten Israel’s security. Well, it seems that that side of the political spectrum has won the argument, as all the above are items that the Israeli government has prohibited from entering Gaza. It’s understandable. I mean, you can inflict a lot of damage on your oppressors with a chocolate biscuit. And those paper cuts, boy, they can really hurt.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rania-al-abdullah/the-hard-line-on-grocery_b_603225.html

What if Hamas Had Attacked Humanitarian Ships in International Waters?, Ed Kinane
This is a thought experiment. Just imagine that it was Israel in desperate need of humanitarian aid – perhaps in the wake of an earthquake or whatever.  Imagine further that a broad, well publicized effort involving citizens of dozens of countries had assembled a flotilla to carry humanitarian aid to the beleaguered nation.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/06/what-if-hamas-had-attacked-humanitarian-ships-in-international-waters/

Gaza Flotilla: Israel, the United States, and a Special Relationship, Sean Fenley
There seems to be a double standard in the application of the principles in the War on Terrorism. The inhuman acts that unbreakable allies perpetrate upon defenseless humanitarian aid givers, are apparently perfectly fine and good. It seems it is the activists’ word, versus the Likudnik government of Israel at this point, and the Obama administration — like finely tuned clockwork — appears to be siding with the latter of the two.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/06/gaza-flotilla-israel-the-united-states-and-a-special-relationship/

What 1967, and 1948, tell us about today,  Michel Shehadeh
“Secure the children first. I want you all to know where to hide when the bombs fall,” my grandmother instructed us. It was June 1967, and I was 11, during the Six-Day War between Israel and the Arabs. The victorious Israeli army was advancing. Soldiers from the fleeing Palestine Liberation Army filled our street. Vanquished, they were trying to figure out what to do, and how to get back to their families.
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/what-1967-and-1948-tell-us-about-today.html

An Eye for an Eye, By JOHNNY BARBER
One week ago a young American woman, Emily Henochowicz, lost an eye while bearing witness to a clash between Palestinian youth and Israeli soldiers at Qalandia checkpoint on the border of Jerusalem and Ramallah in the West Bank. She was attending a demonstration with the International Solidarity Movement in response to the murder of activists in international waters off the coast of Gaza by Israeli commandos.
http://www.counterpunch.org/barber06082010.html

‘Increasingly vocal’ Jewish left is taking over the American Jewish ’street’, Philip Weiss
I try and keep up on the shift within the Jewish establishment, the "seismic shift" that a year or so back MJ Rosenberg predicted was coming, and that Peter Beinart‘s piece was the best evidence of. Well, the "Fundermentalist", the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s blog about philanthropy, written by Jacob Berkman, sent out an email to subscribers today (including our friend Jeff Blankfort) that included excellent reporting on American Jewish organizational response to the flotilla raid. Berkman describes the propaganda effort, but warns Jewish leadership to watch out.
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/increasingly-vocal-jewish-left-is-taking-over-the-american-jewish-street.html

Zionist Joke: What Have We Ever Done to Them?, Ira Chernus
There’s one big difference I’ve noticed between the political Left and Right. Even in the worst of times, lefties have a sense of humor. So I wasn’t surprised to see the grand old man of the Israeli Left, Uri Avnery, sum up his government’s galling attack on the Gaza flotilla with an old Jewish joke. Avnery has been fighting his nation’s militarist policies for longer than most of us have been alive. But at 86, he can still blend outrage with humor.
http://original.antiwar.com/chernus/2010/06/07/what-have-we-ever-done-to-them/

Huckabee said Palestinians should leave Israel, and he’s golden, Philip Weiss
Are people rallying around an American icon demolished for one statement? Yes: A great piece at the Raw Story on the Helen Thomas execution, by Stephen C. Webster, showing the American double standard. And here is a generous farewell to Thomas from Amy Goodman (at 10:25-29:00).  Memo to Chris Matthews, this is your story, man. Honor her, deplore the double standard that is corrupting our politics.
https://mondoweiss.net/2010/06/huckabee-said-palestinians-should-leave-israel-and-hes-golden.html

Thank you for your service, Helen Thomas
Veteran US press corp reporter Helen Thomas has announced her resignation in the wake of recent off-the-cuff comments she made to a roving rabbi with a camcorder. Add me to the list of those who are far more saddened by the overblown fallout surrounding her remarks than about the remark itself, only part of which was inflammatory.
http://pulsemedia.org/2010/06/08/thank-you-for-your-service-helen-thomas/

Helen Thomas Is Out Of Work – Good Thing We’ve Got A "Free" Press Here
Good thing we’ve got a "free" press here.  Helen Thomas is out of work. She’s an old lady. She bad-mouthed Israel and the Jews. She’s out of work.  Pat Buchanan is still working. He said, "This has been a country built, basically, by white folks." Forgetting about 248 years of the official enslavement of millions of Africans upon whose backs and corpses the entire South was built; the nearly slave, forced labor of the Chinese who constructed, by hand, the transcontinental railroad; and the massive contributions of people of many colors throughout the 20th century, including all the non-Caucasian war dead – none of these omissions cost Pat his job. But then, Buchanan isn’t an old lady and he didn’t say a single bad word about Israel or the Jews. He’s still working.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greener/helen-thomas-is-out-of-wo_b_603618.html

Iraq
Monday: 21 Iraqis Killed, 72 Wounded
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says al-Qaeda’s power base in Iraq has been squeezed by a lack of funds and a power vacuum at the top. Despite al-Qaeda weakening, attacks continue to vex Iraq. At least 21 Iraqis were killed and 72 more were wounded in new violence. Also, Iraq lodged complaints with Iran over reports that Iranian troops have crossed the border and started to erect a new fort as part of their operations against Kurdish rebels.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/06/07/monday-21-iraqis-killed-72-wounded/

Civilian toll of Iranian raids in northern Iraq enrages Kurds (McClatchy Newspapers)
McClatchy Newspapers – SULEIMANIYAH, Iraq — Outrage is growing in Iraq’s northern Kurdish territories over renewed Iranian air and artillery strikes against Kurdish rebels in the remote Qandil Mountains, officials and residents said.

Witness – The Iraqi Candidate: The Result
Abdulrahman Dheyab, an Iraqi living in London, wanted to serve his home country, so he decided to return to Iraq to stand as a candidate in the 2010 parliamentary elections. With not much more than his convictions and a taste for grassroots politics, he travelled back to his home village and started his political campaign from scratch. Witness followed Abdulrahman from London as he returned home full of dreams. But the cut and thrust of Iraqi politics proved to be even dirtier than he expected. Now, in the second of two programmes, we pick up his story in the final weeks leading up to election day. Will he be able to realise his fervent dream, for which he has risked so much, or will his idealism turn out to have been misplaced?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wy2p4P3Nqw&feature=youtube_gdata

Al-Qaeda Turns to Mafia Tactics in Mosul
The street emptied at the sound of gunfire, the men scattering in separate directions. A corpse was left behind, the lone victim of the shooting. After a few hours, someone covered its face with a sheet of paper – a gesture of respect for the dead.  This is Mosul, my home. Since 2003, I have worked as a reporter here, mainly for local newspapers. Stories of murder and abduction are part of my routine.
http://www.iwpr.net/report-news/al-qaeda-turns-mafia-tactics-mosul

Lebanon
Report: Israel stealing Lebanese gas
As-Safir analyst says newly discovered Leviathan gas site extends into Lebanese territorial waters, believes Lebanon will defend its rights at site, meaning affair could lead to new conflict between Israel, its northern neighbor.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3902180,00.html

Sayyed Fadlallah, Sheikh Qassem Call to Support Palestine
07/06/2010 Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohamad Hussein Fadlallah received on Monday Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem and discussed with him the general Lebanese and Islamic developments as well as the challenges faced by the Resistance path in the light of the latest developments in occupied Palestine and the ongoing Israeli terrorism against Palestinians and peace activists who’re seeking to break the siege on the Gaza strip.  Sayyed Fadlallah and Sheikh Qassem stressed the necessity to back the Palestinian nation through all possible ways to put an end to the occupation.
http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=141047&language=en

Sleiman to visit Assad next week to discuss Israeli threat, Scud missile allegations
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Sleiman will visit his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad in Damascus on June 15, according to the Central News Agency. Sleiman discussed details of the visit with Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel- Karim Ali who visited him at Baabda palace on Monday.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=115709

U.S. and Other World News
U.S. Soldier Arrested in WikiLeaks Inquiry After Tip From Former Hacker
The Pentagon confirmed Monday that it had arrested a soldier in Kuwait after a former hacker informed the authorities that he had boasted of having leaked helicopter gunship video from Iraq to WikiLeaks.
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=aae2d73c66f32981a6003fb52a054235

US Soldiers Implicated In Killing Of 3 Afghan Civilians, Army Says
FORT LEWIS, Wash. — Five soldiers from the same Washington state-based unit have now been implicated in the killing of three Afghan civilians, an Army spokeswoman said Monday.  The Army said Friday that Spc. Jeremy Morlock had been charged with three counts of premeditated murder and one count of assault.  On Monday, Lt. Col. Tamara Parker, a Joint Base Lewis-McChord spokeswoman, said "there is enough evidence to say that five may be charged," although Morlock is the only one charged so far.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/08/us-soldiers-implicated-in_n_604164.html

Report says doctors helped refine torture methods
A prominent physicians group is charging that medical personnel were used to test and refine the effectiveness of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques for terror detainees in U.S. custody under the guise of safeguarding their health.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/07/1667269/report-says-doctors-helped-refine.html

Anti-War Democrat Marcy Winograd Challenges Rep. Jane Harman in California Primary
Voters in 12 states head to the polls today. Ten states are holding primaries — California, Iowa, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota and Virginia. There’s also a Senate runoff in Arkansas and a congressional runoff in north Georgia. Today we look at one race in particular: the congressional race in Southern California’s 36h District where anti-war candidate, longtime activist and Progressive Democrat Marcy Winograd is challenging the 8-term incumbent Jane Harman, a conservative Blue Dog Democrat. Four years ago, Winograd challenged Harman and won more than 35 percent of the vote.
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/8/anti_war_democrat_marcy_winograd_challenges