Settlers take over house in Hebron, PA detains owner

Hammad: “Land Day Marches Are Nonviolent”
Nimir Hammad, adviser to Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stated that all marches planned for commemorating the 36th anniversary of the Palestinian Land Day, on Friday March 30th, are nonviolent in nature and will keep away from direct contact from the Israeli military, as much as possible, in order to avoid any clashes with the army.
http://www.imemc.org/article/63225

The Manipulation of Israeli Occupation Soldiers- A Day in Nabi Saleh
“SABAYA!” Let’s continue the demonstration, let’s go around another way, via the hill. Like flies attracted to honey, the thundering chants lead by Palestinian women lured many of the lingering foreign activists, some of which were first-timers, towards the hill leading to Nabi Saleh’s stolen spring, AlKaws. Around 10 Israeli activists were on their way to Nabi Saleh when they got into a horrid car accident; fortunately they survived with minor or no injuries. There was the usual faces of Palestinian participants not from Nabi Saleh (not a large number as usual but I wont be going there today). The village’s men and youth (shabab) were already dispersed along the village facing Israeli occupation forces, throwing rocks and hurling tear gas canisters back like some macabre game of football.
http://thekfcmonument.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/the-manipulation-of-israeli-occupation-soldiers-a-day-in-nabi-saleh/

Roger Waters supports World Social Forum Free Palestine
Roger Waters on tour with his “THe Wall Live” show in Brazil today issued his support for the World Social Forum Free Palestine: “Since visiting Israel and the occupied territories in 2006, I have been part of an international movement to support the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality. I am honored to have been asked by the Palestinian BDS National Committee, to announce an initiative, to hold the World Social Forum Free Palestine in Porto Alegre, Brazil in November of this year, in cooperation with the Brazilian social movement and international civil society networks.The object will be to create an international gathering there, that will encourage the basic human instinct in all men and women of good faith to unite in support of the Palestinian people in their struggle for self determination. All over the world, our movement is growing. Encouraged by events like the one coming here to Brazil, our voice will grow.
http://www.stopthewall.org/2012/03/28/roger-waters-supports-world-social-forum-free-palestine
 

Racism and Discrimination

Netanyahu’s housing reform ignores Israeli Arab communities, says new research
Policy paper: Only 3 percent of planned housing units are located in Arab towns.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/netanyahu-s-housing-reform-ignores-israeli-arab-communities-says-new-research-1.421357?localLinksEnabled=false

Arab attacked by Israeli soccer fans: There were hundreds, we had no chance
N., a 20-year-old East Jerusalem resident, describes his account of the night a mob of Beitar Jerusalem supporters assaulted workers in one of the capital’s malls.

Former Arab soccer player: Beitar Jerusalem fans, the ‘most dangerous’ in Israel
Abbas Suana, a former member of Israel’s national soccer team, has also been the target of racial abuse by Beitar Jerusalem fans.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/former-arab-soccer-player-beitar-jerusalem-fans-the-most-dangerous-in-israel-1.421151

Open letter to Michael Oren ahead of Easter
As Christian leaders in Palestine, we were appalled by the baseless allegations you published in the Wall Street Journal on March 9. Your attempt to blame the difficult reality that Palestinian Christians face on Palestinian Muslims is a shameful manipulation of the facts intended to mask the damage that Israel has done to our community. As has been stated in our Kairos document, we Palestinian Christians declare that “the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land is a sin against God and humanity because it deprives Palestinians of their basic human rights, bestowed by God.” The Israeli occupation is the primary reason why so many members of the oldest Christian communities in the world have left the holy land, Palestine.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=471921

Political Developments / Other News

Sen. Cardin tells how he and Hillary Clinton muscled foreign ambassadors to block ‘anti-American’ Palestinian statehood
While 2600 participants gathered in downtown Washington this weekend for the third annual J Street conference, another group of about 250 Jews met at a synagogue in the DC suburb of Chevy Chase Sunday night to hear Maryland Senator Ben Cardin and Israeli diplomat Eliav Benjamin discuss “how pro-Palestinian forces have manipulated the UN to isolate, demonize and delegitimize Israel.” For Phil and me, two of the youngest people in the audience, it was an instructive lesson in how the United States exercises its not so soft-power to protect Israel.
https://mondoweiss.net/2012/03/sen-cardin-tells-how-he-and-hillary-clinton-muscled-foreign-ambassadors-to-block-anti-american-palestinian-statehood.html
 

CBS predicts Arab-haredi majority in 2059
Haredim, Arabs will outnumber Jewish secular population in 47 years, Central Bureau of Statistics predicts.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4209333,00.html

High-level Israeli-Egyptian talks held in Cairo
Negotiations focus on new location of Israeli embassy, possible prisoner exchange.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/high-level-israeli-egyptian-talks-held-in-cairo-1.421388?localLinksEnabled=false

West Bank civil servants threaten protest strikes against Fayyad government
The Deputy Chairman of the Civil Service Union in the West Bank, Ma’en Ansawi, has threatened to begin protests and strikes if Salam Fayyad’s government in Ramallah doesn’t respond to his members’ demands “and provide a decent life for them”. In a press statement, Mr. Ansawi said that living conditions have become “unbearable” and accused the Fayyad government of “obvious negligence”. According to Ansawi, “All of the union’s attempts to open a real dialogue with the government have failed due to the lack of seriousness on the part of the relevant committee assigned to discuss issues with us.” The union boss also said that his members should be given what’s due to them, including promotions and bonuses, as well as travel costs as approved by the Ministry of Transport. “Civil servants are dedicated to their jobs,” he said, “and deserve justice in these matters.”
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/3571-west-bank-civil-servants-threaten-protest-strikes-against-fayyad-government

Abbas: ‘Unity is frozen’
BAGHDAD (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that the reconciliation deal between his Fatah party and Hamas has broken down. “Unity is frozen,” said Abbas, who is in Baghdad to attend the Arab League summit. The president said he had agreed “on many points” with Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal during their meeting in Qatar in February. “We agreed on the vision and objectives and conditions in full,” Abbas said. “I confirm that Mashaal was honest and we were ready (to proceed).”
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=472137

Gaza group calls for armed resistance
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Popular Resistance Movement on Thursday said armed resistance is the only strategy which will liberate Palestine from Israeli occupation. At a news conference in Gaza City, the movement called on all factions to approve an agreement to protect the Palestinian resistance. “The enemy’s threats won’t scare us. The killing will be met by killing, the destruction by destruction. The resistance knows how to respond to the crimes of the occupation,” a spokesman for the group told reporters. He also warned that Israel’s continued provocations against the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian people could lead to a third intifada, or uprising, and urged Palestinians to join international protests planned to mark Land Day on Friday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=472283

Analysis / Op-ed

After banning Beinart, East Bay Jewish Federation leader vows to kill Muslims
Last week, when Peter Beinart embarked on a tour to promote his new book, “The Crisis of Zionism,” leading pro-Israel figures initiated an assault that was as hysterical as it was predictable. The campaign scored its first victory on March 23, when Bay Area pro-Israel groups including the Jewish Federation of the East Bay (the same group that blocked a Gaza children’s art exhibition last year) successfully pressured the East Bay Jewish Community Center to cancel Beinart’s scheduled appearance. The pressure began when Jonathan Wornick, a Jewish Federation board member, took to Facebook to urge his friends in the local pro-Israel community to call for the cancellation of Beinart’s talk. “Write or call the East Bay JCC and tell them to REMOVE THEIR SPONSORSHIP of this event,” Wornick demanded.
http://maxblumenthal.com/2012/03/after-banning-beinart-east-bay-jewish-federation-leader-vows-to-kill-muslims/

Inside Story – Israel: A ‘democratic’ violator of rights?
Israel has cut ties with the UN Human Rights Council after its settlement policy was condemned. How can it violate the human rights of Palestinians and claim to be the only democracy in the region? Guests: Jessica Montell, Akiva Eldar, Mark Ellis.

Palestinian and Israeli organizations visit South Africa to study, brainstorm ‘practicalities of the implementation of the right of return’, Adam Horowitz
If I had to point to one source of hope in Israel/Palestine, this would be it. From the Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights…
https://mondoweiss.net/2012/03/palestinian-and-israeli-organizations-visit-south-africa-to-study-brainstorm-practicalities-of-the-implementation-of-the-right-of-return.html

First, she will visit her parents’ graves, Yousef M. Aljamal
With the help of Gisha, a human rights organization based in what is now Israel, my mother got a permit to visit her family in the West Bank, 12 years after being locked in Gaza. “Your permit has been issued”, said Dina, from Gisha to my mother via mobile. “What?! what?! what?!”, my mother replied, stunned by this unexpected call, that she has been waiting 12 years for. I wonder, who was happier, Dina or my mother? Tomorrow, my mother along with my youngest brother Omer, named after my eldest brother who was murdered by Israeli soldiers, will re-wind the tragedy of being refused entry for 12 years with a 2-hour drive to the West Bank city of Jericho. She will rediscover all the places she used to pass before, when she was allowed to travel there.
https://mondoweiss.net/2012/03/first-she-will-visit-her-parents-graves.html

‘We must expel Arabs and take their place’: Institute for Palestine Studies publishes 1937 Ben-Gurion letter advocating the expulsion of Palestinians, Adam Horowitz
On 3 November 2011, the self-appointed media watchdog CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) informed the Journal of Palestine Studies of an incorrect citation in an article by Illan Pappé (“The 1948 Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine”) published in its autumn 2006 issue. The incorrect citation referred to a quotation by Israeli founding father David Ben-Gurion supporting the expulsion (“transfer”) of Arabs from Palestine.
https://mondoweiss.net/2012/03/we-must-expel-arabs-and-take-their-place-institute-for-palestine-studies-publishes-1937-ben-gurion-letter-advocating-the-expulsion-of-palestinians.html

Jewish Agency ‘Social Media Guru,’ Invents UN Scandal, Denies Armenian Genocide, Richard Silverstein
The Jewish Agency, led by Israeli neocon darling, Natan Sharansky, is joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and IDF by getting into the social media hasbara game.  They’re hired Avi Mayer as their “social media guru,” as the Jewish Agency’s own website calls him.  The Jerusalem Post has also profiled his herculean efforts to promote the Israel brand in the virtual world.
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2012/03/27/jewish-agency-social-media-guru-invents-un-scandal/

Jerusalem is at the heart of the Palestinian struggle
Jerusalem is a city that embodies the cultural heritage of three religions: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Yet Palestinians – both Christian and Muslim – are being driven out of Jerusalem. Just one example of this ethnic cleansing is taking place in Silwan, where 1,000 residents are facing imminent eviction as their homes make way for the King David tourist park. In response to the urgency of the situation, an international alliance is mounting a series of peaceful protests worldwide on 30 March to call for an end to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians living in Jerusalem.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/resources/commentary-and-analysis/3556-jerusalem-is-at-the-heart-of-the-palestinian-struggle

Computing Intifada: When Will Palestinians Revolt?, Ramzy Baroud
When will the Palestinians revolt? The answer, according to an Israeli official: not this year (as quoted by Agency France Press). An internal Israeli Foreign Ministry report last month also concluded that a third Palestinian intifada or uprising was ‘unlikely’ this year. According to the unnamed official, “This report, which is more than 100 pages long, judges that an explosion of generalized violence in the form of a third intifada is unlikely.” Instead, it was resolved that Palestinians would “continue to seize all opportunities to isolate Israel on the international stage” (AFP, Feb 28).
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=19196
 

Iran

Germany official: Meeting with Israel’s Barak left me ‘more concerned’ of war with Iran
Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere says feels some Israeli cabinet members do not give enough thought to the negative consequences that could develop in wake of a strike of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Turkey voices support for Iran nuclear programme
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday voiced his country’s unwavering support for Tehran’s nuclear ambitions in a meeting with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to an official statement.
http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-voices-support-iran-nuclear-programme-001129839.html

‘Azerbaijan granted Israel access to air bases on Iran border’
Foreign Policy quotes U.S. diplomats as saying that ‘Israel is deeply embedded in Azerbaijan’ and says intelligence officials worried that Israel’s military involvement in Azerbaijan would complicate efforts to reduce Israeli-Iranian tensions.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/azerbaijan-granted-israel-access-to-air-bases-on-iran-border-1.421428?localLinksEnabled=false

How to win friends and influence people — to bomb Iran,  Philip Weiss
According to several high-level sources I’ve spoken with inside the U.S. government, Obama administration officials now believe that the “submerged” aspect of the Israeli-Azerbaijani alliance — the security cooperation between the two countries — is heightening the risks of an Israeli strike on Iran. In particular, four senior diplomats and military intelligence officers say that the United States has concluded that Israel has recently been granted access to airbases on Iran’s northern border. To do what, exactly, is not clear. “The Israelis have bought an airfield,” a senior administration official told me in early February, “and the airfield is called Azerbaijan.”
https://mondoweiss.net/2012/03/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people-and-bomb-iran.html

Iraq

Fewer than half Arab leaders attend Iraq summit
Fewer than half the leaders of the Arab world showed up at an Arab summit in Baghdad on Thursday, a snub to the Iraqi government that reflects how trenchantly the sectarian division between Sunnis and Shiites and the rivalry with neighboring Iran define the Middle East’s politics today.
http://news.yahoo.com/fewer-half-arab-leaders-attend-iraq-summit-133706775.html
 

Saudi Arabian human rights lawyer banned from travelling to US

Syria ‘accepts’ Annan plan to end strife
Spokesman for ex-UN chief says Damascus has agreed to accept six-point peace plan for ending conflict in country.

Syria opposition names SNC as sole representative
Syria’s opposition factions agreed Tuesday to name the Syrian National Council as their representative, calling on President Bashar al-Assad to pull out tanks to show he was serious about peace.

Russia boycotts 2nd Friends of Syria
Russia has announced that it will not attend the second “Friends of Syria” conference which will be held in Turkey on April 1.

Lebanese state media denies Syrian incursion
Lebanon’s state news agency denied on Tuesday that Syrian troops crossed the country’s northern borders and shot at Syrian rebels inside the country. The National News Agency (NNA) said that no clashes occurred in the al-Qaa region but added that the Lebanese army is positioning some of its troops along the Lebanese-Syrian border. The news agency also reported that one Lebanese citizen was injured by a stray bullets while on the Syrian side of the border after clashes broke out between security forces and rebels.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/lebanese-state-media-denies-syrian-incursion?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AlAkhbarEnglish+%28Al+Akhbar+English%29

As Syria’s war rages, Assad bans military-age men from leaving
The Syrian regime issued new travel restrictions for military-aged men on Monday.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/world/~3/iROMSu6CUVk/As-Syria-s-war-rages-Assad-bans-military-age-men-from-leaving

New tool helps US group track sex crimes in Syria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — A US women’s group is using new crowd-sourcing techniques to track rape and other sexual violence across Syria in one of the first efforts to monitor assaults against women during military conflict in real-time. The effort by the Women’s Media Center aims to shed light on such assaults and provide possible evidence to prosecute future human rights violations and war crimes. The group launched its website on Wednesday and said it was working with multiple Syrian activists whom it did not identify.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=472142

Spokesman: Syria to reject any Arab League initiative
Damascus will reject any initiative stemming from this week’s Arab League summit to end the year-long crisis in Syria, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday. “Syria will not cooperate with any Arab League initiative at any level,” spokesman Jihad Makdissi said in a statement. “Since its suspension from the Arab League, Syria has been dealing with member states on a bilateral level,” he added.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/spokesman-syria-reject-any-arab-league-initiative?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AlAkhbarEnglish+%28Al+Akhbar+English%29

The Lede Blog: Report Shows Syrian Video Activists at Work, Breaking Some Rules
A new report shows that some activists who risked their lives to document an intense shelling in Homs by government forces on video embellished some of their footage.
http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=a28f00175a0a5c39231b83b75d3bd9d6

Washington Admits Aiding Syrian Opposition
On March 25, The New York Times headlined, “US and Turkey to Step Up ‘Nonlethal’ Aid to Rebels in Turkey,” saying: Other US allies were urged to do the same. Insisting no weapons will be sent belies heavy Western and Israeli ones delivered through porous borders for months. They include powerful explosives, small arms, submachine guns, machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket and anti-tank grenade launchers, among others. They’ve been used to kill civilians and security forces, as well as destroy government facilities. Russia repeatedly denounces Washington’s one-sided support while claiming peaceful resolution intentions. Obama says aiding Assad’s opposition furthers transitioning to a “legitimate government.”