and other news from Today in Palestine:
Land, property, resources theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Settlers
Settlers claim only control of West Bank mountain ridge can guarantee Israel’s security
MEMO 24 May — Israeli settlers in the West Bank have rejected President Obama’s May 22nd remarks to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference, stressing that Israel’s control over the Jordan Valley and the West Bank’s mountain ridge is the only way to provide security for Israel. Israeli media sources reported that Danny Dayan, the chairman of the Yesha Settler Council, expressed his complete rejection of Obama’s remarks to the AIPAC on Sunday, in which he stated that any negotiations should lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state within pre-1967 borders, “with mutually agreed swaps” and in a way that guarantees the security of Israel. Dayan asserted that returning to the 1967 borders could not provide security for Israelis stating that “No border based on the ’67 lines – with or without corrections, with or without the blocs – is defensible. If a PLO state is created, there will be contiguous Muslim territory from Afghanistan to Kfar Saba,” he said.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2393-settlers-claim-only-control-of-west-bank-mountain-ridge-can-guarantee-israels-security
Israel seeks to put the Dead Sea under the control of the illegal colonies
JVS 23 May — Save the Jordan Valley campaign warns of new Israeli colonialist action which is aimed at reclassifying land surrounding the Dead Sea as “state land.” As state land the Dead Sea is entitled to what is known as the “council of colonies” in the Jordan Valley. This act has been used as a tool through which the occupation in the Jordan Valley is maintained and further land acquired for the colonialists. There are 37 illegal Israeli colonies in the Jordan valley; these colonies control around 1200 square km, which accounts for 50% of the total land in the Jordan valley. The purpose of the new plan is to circumvent the fact that the Dead Sea area is currently considered a “historical legacy and international tourist area,” a classification that curtails development in the region.
Colonial schemes have been in place since Israel occupied the Jordan Valley in 1967. Israel has rented the shores of the Dead Sea to colonial tourist companies and other private companies to extract metal, and Israeli potash factories are one of the key factors contributing to low water levels in the Dead Sea. Israel has also proceeded to transfer most of the water to the south of Palestine in a known plan to “turn the Naqab (Negev) desert to a paradise on the earth.” The policy has had an inverse effect in the Jordan Valley, where fertile agricultural land has been turned into desert, destroying wildlife, nature and the fabric of Palestinian society in the valley. Segments of the Palestinian population who once lived on the river banks of the Jordan River have disappeared from the valley, and much of the tourist industry in the city of Jericho has been wiped out.
http://www.jordanvalleysolidarity.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=272:israel-seeks-to-put-the-dead-sea-under-the-control-of-the-illegal-colonie&catid=14:2009&Itemid=21
Jerusalem court to look into home demolitions in Silwan
JERUSALEM (Ma‘an) 24 May — Israel’s central court in Jerusalem was scheduled to look into home demolitions in Al-Bustan neighborhood in East Jerusalem’s Silwan area Tuesday. A court hearing for the case was scheduled earlier and was postponed until Tuesday. Member of the local committee to defend Silwan and Al-Bustan neighborhood Abdul-Karim Abu Sneinan told Ma‘an that the postponement was an attempt to put pressure on the residents of Al-Bustan neighborhood.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=390569
Community and religious coalition issues statement against land expropriation
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) 24 May — Community and religious groups in Silwan have put out a public call for all Arab employees of the Israeli Parks Authority and Elad settlement organization to leave their jobs immediately. The coalition called for an end to Arab complicity and participation in the Judaization of East Jerusalem. Landowners in Silwan, particularly in the Wadi Rababa area, were encouraged to maintain their lands thus giving authorities no pretext to fine or seize their property.
http://silwanic.net/?p=16927
Silwan settlers against freedom of speech
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) 24 May — The settler organization Elad recently filed a libel suit against several Solidarity activists, following the movement’s campaign in the village of Silwan during the recent Passover holiday. In the course of Passover, Solidarity offered the tourists visiting ‘City of David’, a renowned archaeological site run by Elad, information leaflets pointing to the grave political implications of Elad’s activity in specific, and of the Jewish settlement in Silwan in general. In addition, Solidarity joined the Wadi-Hilwan information center in conducting alternative guided tours inside the ‘City of David’ site and through the village of Silwan, Interestingly, the suit filed by Elad refrains from confronting any of the facts or arguments, posed by Solidarity during the Passover campaign, but rather focuses on one minor claim.
http://silwanic.net/?p=16945
Wadi Hilweh Committee member assaulted by Israeli police
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) 24 May — Wadi Hilweh Popular Committee member Ahmed Qaraeen was attacked yesterday by an Israel police officer at the entrance to the archaeological settlement City of David in Wadi Hilweh district of Silwan. The police officer physically assaulted Qaraeen causing him to fall, then demanded to see his identity card. Qaraeen suffers from injuries caused by two gunshot wounds when he was shot by a settler[-soldier] last year and had difficulty moving when struck by the officer. The officer then attempted to prevent an ambulance from transferring the injured Qaraeen to hospital when called. The officer responsible is known throughout the Silwan community for his antagonism toward Palestinian residents.
http://silwanic.net/?p=16935
Week in Review in Silwan
PalMon 24 May — Jerusalem police have a documented history of discriminatory practices against Palestinian residents of Jerusalem. This bond is overtly on display, week after week, in the besieged neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem. The following is a review of the arrests and raids that have occurred just this past week in the various neighborhoods of the Silwan district.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1827
Hebron: Rightists evacuated from Beit Shapira
Ynet 24 May — Around midnight, some 10 right-wing youths entrench in house sealed by court order five years ago. Sixty Border Guard officers storm house, detain activists, reporters who were with them … The intrusion into Beit Shapira … was organized by a group of young right-wing activists who call themselves “Hilltop Youth” … Before the arrest, [right-wing activist Itamar] Ben-Gvir told Ynet, “Obama and Netanyahu can continue chattering, but the ones who set the facts on the ground are these dear boys right here.”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4073059,00.html
Israel cancels MK’s visit to Joseph’s Tomb due to Palestinian threats
Haaretz 24 May — Israeli security services decided to cancel the planned visit of Knesset members to the West Bank compound of Joseph’s Tomb on Tuesday due to Palestinian threats to forcefully prevent the visit. The Eretz Yisrael lobby, headed by MKs Ze’ev Elkin and Aryeh Eldad, requested that the MKs visit the site in order to illustrate Israeli sovereignty in Joseph’s Tomb, in particular after the killing of the nephew of Minister Limor Livnat at the site last month by Palestinian security forces.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-cancels-mks-visit-to-joseph-s-tomb-due-to-palestinian-threats-1.363740
Gaza
Gaza gov’t exerting major efforts to improve Rafah border situation
GAZA, (PIC) 24 May — The Palestinian government in Gaza has exerted major and continuing efforts to ease travel over the Rafah crossing on the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt, said Mohamed Ascol, the cabinet’s secretary-general … Palestinians have seen a recent drop in numbers of people going through the border crossing, Ascol pointed out. He called on the new Egyptian government to open the crossing for the movement of people and to supply the Strip with electricity and gas as well as increase trade between the Strip and Egypt.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcO
Mission to Gaza expected to continue on land
EL-ARISH 24 May (Bernama) — The mission to send PVC pipes to Gaza is expected to continue by land following the Egyptian authorities’ decision to allow the MV Finch carrying humanitarian aid to berth and unload the cargo at El-Arish Port. Bernama reporter Mohd Faizal Hassan via SMS text to the national news agency’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur texted: “It is understood that the Egyptian foreign minister has given permission (for the ship) to berth and unload the goods today…InsyaAllah (God willing), we will be on land.”
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=588814
Activism / Solidarity
Call for further marches on ‘Naksa’ Day
IMEMC 24 May — The International Solidarity Committee, the international activist organisation for Palestine, has called for solidarity marches around the world with upcoming “Naksa” events in the Middle East. The group, which maintains a large international activist presence in the West Bank, has called on global demonstrations to Israeli embassies around the world on June 5th, ‘Naksa Day’, to show solidarity with refugee’s seeking a return to their homes. Naksa, meaning ‘setback’, marks the forced exodus of 300,000 Palestinians during the 1967 Six Day War between Israel and the Arab states. While it is normally marked on Nakba Day (May 15th), this year the group for the ‘Third Palestinian Intifada’ has called on Palestinian refugees to mark the day by repeating actions taken during this year’s Nakba Day when they marched to the Israeli border in Lebanon, Syria, and in the Gaza Strip.
http://www.imemc.org/article/61295
New Zealanders to join aid flotilla to Gaza
TVNZ 24 May — New Zealanders, including a former kidnap victim, will join a humanitarian aid flotilla bound for Gaza later next month. The flotilla of at least 10 vessels bound for Gaza in June is made up of individuals from 14 national groups and international coalitions aiming to raise public awareness. The flotilla will carry humanitarian aid as well as approximately 1000 passengers, including journalists, politicians, humanitarian aid workers, dignitaries, doctors, professors, artists and human rights activists. New Zealander Harmeet Sooden, who in 2005 was kidnapped with three colleagues in Iraq and held for four months, will be part of flotilla group.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/kiwis-join-aid-flotilla-gaza-4185345
Scotland: Glasgow districts boycott Israeli books
Ynet 24 May — Several districts in southwest Scotland expands boycott on Israeli products, bar stores from carrying English translations of Israeli books.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4073097,00.html
Detention
Center: Detainee needs urgent treatment
TUBAS (Ma‘an) 24 May — The Palestinian Detainees Center in Tubas appealed Tuesday for a prisoner in Israel’s Megido prion who they say is in need of medical attention. Ahmad Daraghmeh has been in prison for seven years serving a life sentence. He told the center he was tortured during a recent questioning and had his hand broken. The untreated break has caused Daraghmeh acute pain, the center said, and he fears losing the use of his hand.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=390563
Political / Diplomatic / International
Palestinian UN bid enters unknown territory
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) 23 May — President Barack Obama threw down a gauntlet this weekend: no vote at the United Nations, he asserted, would ever create a Palestinian state. The Palestinians hope to prove him wrong. But their planned bid for U.N. recognition this fall of a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem — territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 Mideast war — enters largely unknown legal ground, and the Palestinians are still trying to work out how best to work the U.N. labyrinth. By a strict reading of U.N. rules, an American veto at the Security Council — which appears likely — would seem to derail any attempt to win recognition of Palestine as a U.N. member from the General Assembly, where there is widespread sympathy for the Palestinian cause. Never before has the assembly taken on a new member state without a nod from the council. But legal experts say there may be ways to maneuver around that block. The question is whether any declaration the Palestinians can wrest from the General Assembly would be a largely symbolic gesture or would be strong enough to win them valuable legal leverage against Israel’s occupation.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110523/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_un_bid_3
Hamas’ top leader challenged by Gaza strongman
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) 24 May — Gaza’s Hamas strongman on Tuesday was quoted as challenging the Islamic militant movement’s top leader because of his tacit backing of Palestinian negotiations with Israel. The comments by Mahmoud Zahar were carried by the Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar on Tuesday and signaled a rare public dispute among Hamas leaders. A Hamas statement in Gaza claimed the comments were fabricated, but did not explain. Zahar was quoted as saying the group’s exiled leader, Khaled Masha‘al, had no right to say that Hamas would give Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas another chance to try to negotiate a peace deal with Israel.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110524/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_hamas_dispute
Transcript of Netanyahu’s 24 May speech to Congress
http://www.theisraelproject.org/atf/cf/%7B84dc5887-741e-4056-8d91-a389164bc94e%7D/SPEECH%20BY%20PRI
White House satisfied with Netanyahu speech
WASHINGTON (Ynet) 24 May — White House spokesman Jay Carney expressed satisfaction with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Congress address and his commitment to peace. The White House is satisfied with the commitment Netanyahu expressed for the two-state vision, Carney said. [but note that Obama is conveniently out of the country]
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4073545,00.html
Palestinians must tear up deal with Hamas: Netanyahu
WASHINGTON (AFP) 24 May — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday urged Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to tear up a pact with Hamas, and said a unilateral bid for Palestinian statehood must be opposed. Peace can only be negotiated with partners committed to peace. And Hamas is not a partner for peace,” the Israeli premier told US lawmakers. “Hamas remains committed to Israel’s destruction and to terrorism,” he argued,
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110524/wl_afp/israelpalestinianpeaceushamas_2011052417
Some settlements will be outside Israel: Netanyahu
WASHINGTON (AFP) 24 May — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tuesday that some Jewish settlements would end up beyond Israel’s borders in a future peace deal with the Palestinians. “The status of the settlements will be decided only in negotiations, but we must also be honest. So I’m saying today something that should be said publicly, by all those who are serious about peace,” he told US lawmakers.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110524/ts_afp/israelpalestinianpeaceussettlements
Palestinians: Netanyahu peace outline unacceptable
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) 24 May – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s parameters for a peace deal, outlined in a speech to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, fell far short of what is needed to resume negotiations, Palestinian officials said. Nabil Sha‘ath, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said Netanyahu’s insistence on keeping key parts of the territories the Palestinians want for their state is a “declaration of war against the Palestinians.” Israeli settlers, the Islamic militant Hamas and Netanyahu’s moderate parliamentary opposition also expressed criticism.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110524/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_netanyahu
Police arrest activist who interrupted Bibi speech
WASHINGTON (Ma‘an) 24 May — Police have arrested an American peace activist at a hospital in the US capital after she interrupted Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Tuesday, activists said. Rae Abileah, 28, stood up and shouted, “Stop Israeli war crimes” at the start of Netanyahu’s address to the joint session of US lawmakers. Abileah, an American Jew of Israeli descent, was taken to the George Washington University Hospital after being “assaulted and tackled to the ground by AIPAC members of the audience,” a statement from the group Move Over AIPAC said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=390807
Videos: Protesters confront Netanyahu inside AIPAC gala
http://www.moveoveraipac.org/2011/05/protesters-confront-netanyahu-inside-aipac-gala/
PA: Netanyahu’s policies fraudulent
Ynet 24 May — Palestinian officials criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s AIPAC address Tuesday, saying that it reflects his “fraudulent policies, which are in contrast with all international laws and agreements.” … Hamas officials also slammed the address – which most notably stressed that Israel will not return to 1967 borders. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that “Netanyahu’s words about not returning to 1967 lines make negotiation with Israel absurd and wrong. “The prime minister’s call on the Palestinian to recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland, he added, “Is a racist call and anyone supporting it should be branded a racist.” Hamas, he stressed, will never recognize Israel’s legitimacy at the expense of the Palestinians’ right.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4073244,00.html
Russia announces unequivocal support for unity deal
MOSCOW (Ma‘an) 24 May — Russia supports Palestinian unity efforts as a step toward regional stability, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavarov told Palestinian factional representatives in Moscow on Monday evening.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=390529
Palestinian PM expected to make full recovery
DALLAS (AP) 24 May — Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad did not have a heart attack and should make a full recovery after surgery to open a clogged artery at a Texas hospital, a cardiologist said Tuesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110524/ap_on_re_us/us_palestinians_fayyad_3
Netanyahu to Fayyad: Get well soon
TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma‘an) 24 May — A spokesman said Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a get-well card written in Arabic to his counterpart Salam Fayyad, who suffered chest pains in the US.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=390804
Other news
Raed Saleh speaks at TA university
Ynet 24 May — Under a cloud of great secrecy, Head of the Islamic Movement’s northern branch Sheikh Raed Salah, took part in a convention held at Tel Aviv University on Monday. “We have the right to pray in al-Aqsa Mosque,” said Salah during the convention discussing the Arab sector’s history. He was cheered on by the audience, composed of only Arab students.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4073212,00.html
Bill giving job preference to IDF veterans slammed as discriminatory
Haaretz 23 May — The bill, sponsored by Yisrael Beiteinu, can be expected to discriminate against those that are in any case underrepresented in the government sector – the ultra-Orthodox, Arabs, Orthodox women, women who married before reaching the age of army service, new immigrants and people with disabilities.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/bill-giving-job-preference-to-idf-veterans-slammed-as-discriminatory-1.363414
Israel extends 63-year state of emergency – over ice cream and show tickets
Haaretz 24 May — The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee yesterday declared a “state of emergency” at the cabinet’s request. This was not due to an expected outbreak of war or terrorism, but to ensure the state’s continued supervision over such issues as ice cream production, show tickets and amniocentesis tests. Actually, the state of emergency was declared 63 years ago. But the committee extended it for another year, rejecting a request by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel that the extension be limited to six months.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-extends-63-year-state-of-emergency-over-ice-cream-and-show-tickets-1.363640
Shalit activists stall Gaza-bound Brinks truck
Ynet 24 May — Dozens of protesters block path of armored vehicle carrying $13 millions in funds to Gaza Strip, demand government ‘halt funds until Shalit is freed’ … Police forces arrived on the scene saying the protest was illegal and demanded the activists clear the road. After the demonstrators refused, the Brinks representatives consulted with their managers and after a while decided to retreat.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4073299,00.html
US may scrap F35, set to be Israel’s fighter jet of the future
Haaretz 24 May — Senior members of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee last week instructed the Pentagon to come up with alternatives to the jet fighter of the future, the F-35, with the project facing massive cost overruns. The plane has been selected as the future of the Israel Air Force, and for now there are no plans for an alternative if the American project is shelved.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/u-s-may-scrap-f35-set-to-be-israel-s-fighter-jet-of-the-future-1.363626
Pro-Israel advocate physically attacks CNIF president after conference on US aid
PressTV video 24 May 2011 “Tempers flared at the prestigious National Press Club in Washington, DC . A pro Israeli advocate knocked a camera out of the hands of Alison Weir, President of the Council for the National Interest Foundation. The group just finished their press conference on what they call unjustifiable US Aid to Israel. The two sides met when the Press Club scheduled a pro-Israeli news conference to follow held in the same room. The altercation illustrates heightened tensions on differing views regarding America’s relationship with Israel. The Council for the National Interest Foundation wants Americans to know how much of their tax dollars are going to Israel…” [Weir founded the website ifamericansknew.org]
http://palestinevideo.blogspot.com/2011/05/pro-israel-advocate-physically-attacks.html
Analysis / Opinion
The Zombie threat of 1967 borders / Roi Maor
+972mag 24 May — A point-by-point rebuttal of the arguments against 1967 borders — A lot of people appear to be concerned about the “indefensibility” of 1967 borders. A lot of people also seem to be worried about the prospect of Zombie apocalypse. Far be it from me to imply that there is any overlap between the two groups. Nonetheless, these two notions have one thing in common: much like Zombies, the threat posed by 1967 does not exist … In this post, I would like to offer a more systematic rebuttal of the “indefensible” borders argument. As a proxy for this position, I will refer to a popular video, which purports to outline Israel’s security concerns in the framework of negotiations with Palestinians. As I have already explained, this line of argumentation inevitably implies support for annexation of the entire West Bank and Israeli rule over millions of Palestinians. Nonetheless, it may be worthwhile to examine the points raised by this video on their merit, regardless of their implications.
http://972mag.com/the-zombie-threat-of-1967-borders/
Israeli right mocks Obama’s rapid submission to Netanyahu / Saleh Naami
23 May — Jewish settler leaders were moved to express their satisfaction with Barack Obama’s Middle East speech at the AIPAC annual conference, going as far as inviting the US president to join the leadership of their association. Benny Katzover, longtime leader of the West Bank settlement movement, said that the speech didn’t just represent a victory for Israel, but it was also a great statement of support to the concept of settlement and to the “entrenchment of Jewish presence” in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Golan.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/~/NewsContent/2/8/12741/World/Region/Israeli-right-mocks-Obamas-rapid-submission-to-Net.aspx
Video – Greg Philo ‘More Bad News from Israel’
21 May — Greg Philo comes to SOAS to speak about his new book, ‘More Bad News from Israel’ which looks at the media coverage of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx7NaQsvUnE&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
www.theheadlines.org (archives)
groups.yahoo.com/group/f_shadi (listserv)
