Land Theft and Destruction
Settlers burn lands west of Nablus; third attack in four days
Nablus
– Ma’an – Israeli settlers set fire to 25 dunums of land from Burqa
village west of Nablus on Wednesday, destroying tens of olive trees.
Ghassan Doghlus, who monitors violent settler activity in the northern
West Bank, said a small group of four or six settlers descended onto
the Ath-Thaer Mountain near the evacuated settlement of Homesh, on
lands belonging to Muhammad Abdallah Abu Hilmeh, Odeh Al-Mhabber, Amid
Nimer Aboud, Muhammad Abdel Aziz and Basel Baker Najeh Odeh.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=212273

B'Tselem:
15 July ’09: Growing concern over possible eviction of ‘Arab a-Ramadin
al-Janubi, a village isolated by the Separation Barrier
Testimonies given to B'Tselem indicate that the Civil Administration
recently informed residents of the Palestinian village ‘Arab a-Ramadin
al-Janubi. The Civil Administration is once again trying to evict the
300 residents of ‘Arab a-Ramadin al-Janubi, a Palestinian village
southeast of Qalqilya.
http://www.btselem.org/english/separation_barrier/20090715_arab_a_ramadin_al_jan\
ubi.asp

Update from Jerusalem: Palestinians continue to resist concerted Israeli effort
to erase them from the city
The following was written by Samia Khoury.
Khoury was born in Jaffa, Palestine on November 24, 1933. She has had a
lifetime of of involvement in Palestinian civil society through Birzeit
University, the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center and the
YWCA of Palestine among other institutions. She sent out the following
by email.
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/07/samia-khoury.html

Battle of Bil'in
Palestinian
activists from Bil'in village say the Israeli military has raided their
village almost daily this week. They claim the early morning raids are
linked to a recent lawsuit filed by the village in the Quebec Superior
Court. Last month Bil'in launched the lawsuit against two
Montreal-based companies, Green Park International and Green Mount
International, claiming they played a role in building Israeli-only
settlements on Palestinian lands in Bil'in, an act they say is illegal
under international law and under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and
War Crimes Act, established in 2000.
http://www.hour.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=17815

Bil’in Under Fire: Peaceful Resistance Meets Assailment
The
systematic arrest of Bil’in activists begins with the covert intrusion
of Israeli soldiers into Bil’in at the stroke of midnight. From the
west, soldiers cross the Separation Wall in military vehicles concealed
under a blanket of darkness, each entering one by one in 10 minute
intervals dropping off soldiers on the eastern side of the barrier.
Five to 30 soldiers, depending on the size of the military vehicle,
jump off and immediately transition into combat-mode, laying close to
the ground, managing to maneuver across the land on their elbows, while
signaling the army car to recede back into isolation within two to
three minutes of ensuring no opposition in sight.
http://miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=20079&CategoryId=13

Aggression/Violence and Siege Related Deaths
A body of a man found at an underground tunnel in southern Gaza Strip
The
body of a young Palestinian man was found on Thursday inside an under
ground tunnel connecting the southern Gaza town of Rafah with Egypt..
http://www.imemc.org/article/61132

Israeli soldiers raid Tulkarem Refugee Camp
Tulkarem
– Ma’an – Israeli ground troops invaded Tulkarem Refugee Camp in the
northern West Bank early on Thursday and raided Palestinian houses.
Palestinian security sources said that Israeli troops surrounded
Al-Balawna neighborhood in the camp at 2am, and ordered all its
inhabitants into the street. The soldiers then intensively searched
each house. No one was reported arrested.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=212475

War Criminals/Human Rights Abuses
Legitimizing Extrajudicial Killing: License to Kill
When I advised the Israel Defense Forces, here's how we decided if targeted
kills were legal -- or not.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/07/13/licence_to_kill?page=0,1

A NEW BOOKLET BY "BREAKING THE SILENCE"
AROUND
30 ISRAELI SOLDIERS TESTIFY ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES IN OPERATION CAST
LEAD – A NEW BOOKLET BY "BREAKING THE SILENCE": "You feel like an
infantile little kid with a magnifying glass looking at ants, burning
them."
http://www.shovrimshtika.org/news_item_e.asp?id=30

Why some Israeli soldiers are disillusioned by Gaza tactics
More
than two dozen alleged in a report published Wednesday that they were
under pressure to minimize army casualties even at the risk of killing
Palestinian civilians.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0715/p06s01-wome.html

B'Tselem: Military avoids investigating soldiers' testimonies
While
the military has attacked the credibility of soldiers' testimonies
regarding Operation Cast Lead, it has failed to open a single serious
investigation into events described in detail by Palestinian witnesses
to B'Tselem.
http://www.btselem.org/English/Press_Releases/20090715.asp

B'Tselem: Testimony: Police severely beat Malak Abu Gharbiya on Tel Aviv beach,
June 2009
I
live in Jerusalem and sometimes go with friends to the beach in Tel
Aviv. On Friday evening, 12 June, I went to Tel Aviv with my friends
Muaiad Sha’ban, 21, ‘Alaa Sharaf, 21, Wasfi Zahdeh, 20, ‘Issa a-Safdi
and Ibrahim Abu Diab. I drove. We got to the parking lot next to the
beach near Jaffa around 10:00 P.M. We got out of the car, put some
music on and talked. A few minutes later, we saw some guys I know from
Jerusalem fighting. We went and broke up the fight.
http://www.btselem.org/English/Testimonies/20090612_Policemen_assault_Malek_Abu_\
Gharbiya_
on_Tel_Aviv_Beach.asp

Israel escalates racist actions in occupied Palestine
Palestine
Return Centre (PRC) expressed deep anxiety towards Israeli practises in
occupied Palestinian territories. International laws, UN resolutions,
International court of justice, 4th Geneva conventions and many other
charters are being repeatedly and clearly violated by Israel which is
meet with a lamentable silence by the International community as well
as the Arab and the Muslim world.
http://jnoubiyeh.blogspot.com/2009/07/israel-escalates-racist-actions-in.html

ICRC: Israel Traps Gazans in Deprivation and Despair, By STEPHEN LENDMAN
Founded
in Geneva, Switzerland in 1863, the International Committee of the Red
Cross is an "impartial, neutral and independent organization whose
exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of
victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to
provide them with assistance." It also tries "to prevent suffering by
promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian
principles."
http://jnoubiyeh.blogspot.com/2009/07/icrc-israel-traps-gazans-in-deprivation.ht\
ml

Report: Israeli soldier threatened to rape mother of detained boy
Bethlehem
- Ma'an - "Shut up or I will f*** you," a Christian Peacemaker Team
observer quoted an Israeli soldier yelling at the mother of a boy bound
in military custody near Hebron on Monday. CPT observers near the Tel
Rumeida area of Hebron detailed an attack on an unarmed 16-year-old boy
that also saw his mother threatened and death threats launched at his
father, who attempted to file a police report against the actions. The
boy volunteers for the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem as a
cameraman and has undertaken nonviolence training.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=212299

Detainees
Eight Palestinians kidnapped by Israeli army in the West Bank
Israeli troops kidnapped eight Palestinians during pre-dawn invasions of
different areas of the West Bank.
http://www..imemc.org/article/61130

Israeli army detains 9 Palestinians in West Bank
Ramallah,
July 16, 2009 (Ramattan) – The Israeli forces detained on Thursday
morning 9 Palestinian citizens in different cities in the West Bank,
Palestinian security sources said.
http://english.ramattan.net/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=40563

Israel detains 9,600 Palestinians, including children, women -- report
GAZA,
July 15 (KUNA) -- The number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails
reached up to 9,600, including 345 children and 85 women, a Palestinian
researcher said in a statistical report on Wednesday. Since 1967,
Israel has arrested nearly 750,000 Palestinians including 69, 000 who
were detained in Al-Aqsa uprising, said researcher Abdul Naser Farawna
in his report.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2014316&Lan\
guage=en

Rights group demands access to Palestinian prisoners in Gaza
The
Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) has been denied access to
clients detained by the Internal Security Service (ISS) of the
Government in Gaza. PCHR affirm that such measures violate Palestinian
law and relevant international standards, including the detainees'
right to have access to legal counsel. PCHR is further concerned that
access restrictions may be motivated by the desire to hide illegal
practices against detainees, including torture and other forms of cruel
treatment.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10663.shtml

Administrative detention case submitted to the UN
[Ramallah,
16 July 2009] – On 16 July 2009, DCI-Palestine filed a submission with
the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Wa’ad al-Hidmy
(UA 5/09), seeking the adoption of an Opinion by the UN body that
Wa’ad’s administrative detention constitutes an arbitrary detention in
contravention of international law.
http://www.dci-pal.org/english/display.cfm?DocId=1194&CategoryId=1

Ahrar center: Israel escalated its medical neglect policy against prisoners
Al-Ahrar
center for prisoners’ studies and human rights said that Israel
escalated the policy of medical neglect against Palestinian prisoners
with the aim of destroying them psychologically.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/

PA releases woman who sheltered Hamas fighters
Qalqilia
– Ma’an – The Palestinian Authority (PA) released a woman who sheltered
two Hamas fighters at the time of a deadly shootout that left six
people dead in the West Bank city of Qalqiliya in late May.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=212436

Humanitarian Issues
Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory
http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2008/16-07-2009.htm

MIDEAST: Malnutrition Begins to Bite
GAZA
CITY, Jul 15 (IPS) - "No one is buying meat these days," says Yousef
Al-Jerjowi, sitting next to his butcher shop devoid of customers.
"There are some people who buy frozen meat, because it's much cheaper:
20 shekels (five dollars) per kilo versus 60 shekels for fresh beef.."
According to the 45-year-old father of ten, while business is in
general terrible, the better days are early in the month, when those
with salaried jobs often receive their pay.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47667

Rights group slams Hamas for storming Gaza wedding (AFP)
AFP
- The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights on Wednesday condemned the
Hamas rulers of Gaza for storming a wedding party after guests raised a
portrait of a slain activist from the rival Fatah movement.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090715/wl_mideast_afp/mideastunrestgazahamas

PA Collaboration, Abuse and Detentions
B'Tselem: Suspicion that dead detainee was tortured by the PA
Haitham
'Amru, a nurse and member of Hamas was arrested by the Palestinian GIS
in the West Bank and died in Hebron several days later. Signs of severe
injury were found on the body. The PA must investigate 'Amru's death
and prosecute the perpetrators.
http://www.btselem.org/English/Inter_Palestinian_Violations/20090701_Death_of_de\
tainee_in_interrogation_facility.asp

PLO official stands by Abbas claim
Farouk
Kaddoumi, a Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) official, has told
Al Jazeera he stands by documents that he says show that Mahmoud Abbas,
the Palestinian president, was involved in a conspiracy to assassinate
Yasser Arafat, his predecessor.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/07/200971683533717728.html

Hamas: PA arrested seven party members in West Bank
Bethlehem
– Ma’an – The Palestinian Authority detained seven Hamas affiliates
from their West Bank homes overnight Wednesday, a Hamas statement
said. The party said those detained were from the areas of Tulkarem,
Nablus and Jericho.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=212410

PA Intimidation of the Media
Why Palestinian leaders have banned Al Jazeera
Ahead
of a major Fatah leadership conference, the Arab TV network reported
Tuesday that President Mahmoud Abbas had been involved in an
assassination plot against his predecessor, Yasser Arafat.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0715/p06s13-wome.html

PA closes Al Jazeera bureau
The
Palestinian Authority (PA) has suspended Al Jazeera's news operation in
the West Bank, accusing the network of false reporting. The
information ministry said on Wednesday that it was taking the network
to court over a report aired a day earlier.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2009/07/200971515380676310.html

Fayyad asks Attorney General to file suit against Al-Jazeera
Ramallah
- Ma’an - The Palestinian Authority will go ahead with a suit against
the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television after they shut down their West
Bank offices on charges of “incitement and false information.”
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Wednesday night that he
commissioned Attorney General Ahmed Al-Mughni to take the legal
procedures necessary to prosecute Al-Jazeera. Analysts say the Tuesday
report with comments by senior Fatah member Farouq Qaddoumi, who
accused President Abbas of involvement in an alleged plot to kill
Yasser Arafat was the final impetus for the suit.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=212107

MIFATAH: Al Jazeera Suspension, Violation of Press Freedom
MIFTAH,
the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and
Democracy is greatly disturbed by the Palestinian Authority's recent
suspension of Al Jazeera Satellite Channel's work in the West Bank. The
suspension, which was announced on July 15, comes on the backdrop of
what the PA called the channel's "incitement and false information"
against the Authority. The office of Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad has
also announced that the PA would file a lawsuit against Al Jazeera on
the same charges.
http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=20094&CategoryId=2

Shock of the new media | Brian Whitaker
As
Fatah shuts down al-Jazeera in the West Bank, other anxious
administrations are cracking down on Middle East media. Whether true or
not, the idea that Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader who died rather
mysteriously in 2004, had been deliberately poisoned continues to fascinate
people.
It's one of those stories that just won't go away – like the "murder"
of Princess Diana and the various Kennedy assassination plots.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/16/media-west-bank-al-jazeera

Palestinian Media Union calls for reopening of Al-Jazeera
Bethlehem
- Ma’an - The Palestinian Journalists Union called on the Palestinian
Authority to reopen the Al-Jazeera offices in Ramallah demanded they
respect rights and freedoms of media and journalists and of citizens to
free speech and freedom of expression.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=212294

Israeli Intimidation of the Media
Palestinian journalist: we were detained until threats of additional attention
garnered release
After
an Al Watan Television crew was seriously harassed in Ramallah, the
Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) issued a
condemnation., As PNN reported yesterday, Israeli forces detained the
crew at a flying checkpoint near Sorda Village. The journalists had
been filming at Birzeit University when they learned of the suffering
of hundreds of people at the checkpoint that had been imposed shortly
before.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6155

Political Developments
OPT: Obama to set binding timetable for Israeli-Palestinian talks
GAZA, July 16 (KUNA) -- US President Barack Obama is expected to
announce a diplomatic plan soon for renewal of the Middle East peace
process, reported the Haaretz on Thursday.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/JBRN-7TZH3D?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P

Report: Egypt drops bid for Palestinian unity government
Egypt has ceased efforts to mediate the formation of a national unity
government between the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah,
Israel Radio reported on Saturday. Officials who met with the senior
echelon of Egyptian intelligence said that Cairo is instead proposing
that two separate governments ? the Hamas regime in Gaza and the
Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank ? continue to function
until general elections are held.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1099317.html

Hamas spokesman:Fatah, Hamas leaders to meet in Cairo Saturday
GAZA, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Rival Fatah party and Islamic Hamas movement
leaders are to hold an evaluative session of talks in Cairo on Saturday
to discuss mutual political arrests and also a proposal to postpone the
seventh round of dialogue scheduled on July 25, a Hamas spokesman said
Thursday.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/16/content_11720021.htm

Ex-U.S. Diplomat Talks With Hamas, Officials of Islamist Group See an Opening,
but Washington Says Nothing's Changed
JERUSALEM,
July 15 -- To Hamas officials Bassem Naim and Mahmoud al-Zahar, a
recent meeting in Switzerland with a former senior U.S. diplomat
represented an opening in relations with the Obama administration, and
a path to easing the Islamist group's isolation.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/15/AR2009071503791.\
html

Clinton doesn't rule out compromise with Israel on construction
US
secretary of state evades question on possibility of finding middle
ground that will allow Israel to continue building 2,000 housing units
in West Bank, says she does not want to interfere with negotiations
between Barak, Mitchell.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3747345,00.html

Israeli bill would require referendum for Golan pullout
Bethlehem
– Ma’an/Agencies – The Israeli government moved this week to institute
a measure that would require parliamentary approval or a national
referendum before any withdrawal from occupied Syrian territory.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=212046

Other News
Hamas' Haniyeh: Jews are not the enemy
Gaza
– Ma’an – De facto Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh met on
Thursday with a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews who arrived in Gaza with a
US aid convoy. Haniyeh told the members of the Neturei Karta sect that
Jews are not the enemies of the Arabs or Muslims. “Our problem is with
the occupation, that stems from the Zionist ideology and its desire to
disperse all the Palestinians,” he said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=212510

East Jerusalem cinema reopens after 20 years of closure with great hall
accommodating 600 people
Mohamed
Khaled / PNN exclusive - After a closure of more than 20 years the red
city cinema of Salah Addin Street is reopened. The East Jerusalem
movie house reopened last night under the name Alhambra, or Red
Palace. It ran from 1952 until its closure in 1989.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6160

Israeli Hasbara
Apartheid for Dummies
The
Israel Project's 2009 Global Language Dictionary reveals a lobby
desperate to rally American public opinion behind the legitimacy of the
settlements and ever willing to attribute Israel's brutal occupation to
its compassion for Palestinian children.
http://menassat.com/?q=en/news-articles/6839-apartheid-dummies

Activism/Solidarity/Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment
Haniyah meets the crew of Viva Palestina aid convoy
Around
200 American, the crew of Viva Palestina aid convey, meet on Thursday
the deposed Palestinian Prime Minsiter Ismal'el Haniyah, of Hamas.
http://www.imemc.org/article/61133

Neturei Karta meet with Haniyeh in Gaza
Four
followers of ultra-Orthodox stream that doesn't recognize State of
Israel travel to Gaza Strip by boat with international activists. Hamas
prime minister Ismail Haniyeh welcomes them, says Jews, Arabs not
enemies. Next ship scheduled to dock in Gaza to carry Venezuela's
Chavez.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3747700,00.html

WE ARE IN GAZA!!!!
http://www.vivapalestina-us.org/2009/07/we-are-in-gaza/

Viva Palestina convoy of US activists breaks the siege of Gaza
Viva Palestina, a convoy
of US human rights activists has entered Gaza with truckloads of
humanitarian aid. The delegation has over 200 people, and is a follow
up trip to one led by British MP George Galloway last March.. This delegation
includes Vietnam vet Ron Kovic, New York City Council member Charles Barron and
Cynthia McKinney.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMLHLAd8uws
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/07/viva-palestina-convoy-breaks-the-s\
iege-of-gaza.html#idc-container

McKinney, Barron and 200 Delegates Set to Enter Gaza
After
days of maddening delays by Egyptian and U.S. authorities, it appears
the Viva Palestine US caravan is set to cross from Egypt into the Gaza
strip, home to 1.5 million besieged Palestinians. Former Georgia
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, New York City Councilman Charles Barron
and Dead Prez rapper M-1 are among the 200 delegates who are attempting
to deliver humanitarian aid. The supplies are meant to aid recovery
from Israel’s brutal December-January assault on Gaza in which at least
1,400 people died.
http://jnoubiyeh.blogspot.com/2009/07/mckinney-barron-and-200-delegates-set.html

Second "Artery of Life" convoy prepares to cross into Gaza: Sources
GAZA/RAFAH,
July 15 (Xinhua) -- The second "Artery of Life" humanitarian convoy
arrived at the Egyptian side of the borders between Hamas-ruled Gaza
Strip and Egypt on Wednesday evening preparing to cross into Gaza, the
pro-Hamas committee to defy the Israeli blockade said. The committee
said in a statement sent to reporters that the convoy arrived at the
Egyptian side of Rafah border crossing, hoping that the Egyptian
authorities will let the convoy to cross into the territory.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/16/content_11714909.htm

Analysis/Op-ed
What Palestinians really think about Obama, By Norman H. Olsen
Gaza
City, Gaza - The yawning gap of misunderstanding between America and
the Palestinians in Gaza strikes this returning former US diplomat
regularly during two weeks of encounters with Gazans in the cafes,
salons, and diwans (evening gatherings of elders) of this sweltering
desert city. Gazans of all stripes, both decades-long friends of mine
and new contacts, are intimately aware of President Obama's Cairo
speech last month, which many see as a breathtaking change from Bush
administration policy.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0715/p09s02-coop.html

Decolonizing Israel
There
is an echoing sentiment here in Ramallah that Israeli milk is more
“tasteful” and “nutritious” than Palestinian milk. The same goes for
wine, apples, dates, juice, and just about everything else…except for
maybe olives. In fact, Palestinian shopkeepers even stock Israeli-made
milk at the front of their store while Palestinian milk sits in a
far-to-reach crate collecting dust in the corner.
http://www.counterpunch.org/hammad07152009.html

Israel Offers Palestinians Day Shoppers, Not Statehood, by Jonathan Cook
The
reality of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promises of
“economic peace” for the Palestinians is nowhere under greater scrutiny
than in Jenin, the northern West Bank city being aggressively promoted
as a potential model of co-operation with Israel. Once known as the
City of Martyrs for the high number of suicide bombers it despatched
into Israel, Jenin was the site of a savage fight in 2002 as the
Israeli army reoccupied much of the West Bank.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/07/israel-offers-palestinians-day-shoppers-not-st\
atehood/

Wide-eyed college kids flood Ramallah, determined to change the world in a month
Pamela,
an American journalist who used to live in the West Bank and lately
returned there, sent the following report in an email to friends from
Ramallah. We are not using her last name because she fears difficulties
at the border.
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/07/pamela-an-american-journalist-who-\
used-to-live-in-the-west-bank-and-lately
-returned-there-reports-from-ramallahafter-leavi.html

Speak to us, Mr. President, Haaretz Editorial
Since
his election, U.S. President Barack Obama has reiterated his commitment
to Israel's security and to advancing peace and normalization between
Israel and its Arab neighbors. In his meeting on Monday with leaders of
the American Jewish community, Obama promised to work toward achieving
a two-state solution and said the creation of a Palestinian state is in
Israel's security interest.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1100314.html

Obama`s prizes for Israel are not "pressure"
While
all the attention is focused on the freeze, Israel maintains its siege
of Gaza -- despite Obama`s calls to loosen it -- and continues to build
the West Bank wall five years after the International Court of Justice
ordered it torn down. The United States itself continues to undermine
chances for intra-Palestinian reconciliation, and therefore credible
negotiations, by fueling the smoldering civil war between US-backed
Palestinian militias on the one hand and resistance factions led by
Hamas on the other.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10665.shtml

Is the Jewish identity piece of engagement on Israel/Palestine an elitist tea
party?
Last
night we had a blowout discussion of Gaza at the Brecht Forum in New
York. At the end of the night Mahmoud Bitar, a Palestinian-American,
rose and in a passionate tone said "what I'm experiencing now is
excitement, I actually feel optimism today," and that the meeting was
historic. I don’t know that I would go that far but it was certainly a
packed house, over 250 people, and an unusual combination of
leftwingers, progressives, Jews and Arabs.. Gaza has lit a fuse and the
politics are exploding before us.
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/07/tonight-we-had-a-blowout-discussio\
n-of-gaza-at-the-brecht-forum-in-new
-york-at-the-end-of-the-night-mahmoud-bitar-a-palesti.html

Exclusive: In Speech, Hillary Will Push Arabs To Do More Towards Peace
In a major foreign policy speech this afternoon, Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton will take direct aim at Arab states for not doing their part towards
securing Mideast peace, demanding that “all sides” do more to crack
down on the “cultures of hate, intolerance and disrespect that
perpetuate conflict,” according to an advance excerpt I’ve obtained.
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/middle-east/exclusive-in-speech-hillary-will-h\
it-arabs-for-not-doing-enough-towards-peace/

How they do it: Hoenlein brought Limbaugh to Israel and Mossad, many years ago
FE
Felson writes: Don't ask me how I ended up on his site at 12:45 AM,
but I was just looking through a Rush Limbaugh speech from10/07 in which he
casually mentioned Malcolm Hoenlein how het set up Rush's (only,
I assume) trip to Israel, back in '94. It's a very small but telling
example of the lobby at work. I'm quite sure Rush talked to no
Palestinians on his trip and made no effort to see Gaza or the West
Bank or to learn anything about the Palestinian perspective. And I'm
sure he hasn't gone to Gaza or the West Bank since. I'd be very
interested to know if Hoenlein is the one who suggested the Israel trip
in the first place. (He talks about going to the wedding of Hoenlein's
daughter, and how everyone who's anyone was there.)
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/07/how-they-do-it-hoenlein-brought-li\
mbaugh-to-israel-and-
mossad-many-years-ago.html

Mearsheimer: C-Span would cover a debate. Jump up to it, Yivo!
Journalist Ron Kampeas of JTA (a settler who owns property in illegally-annexed
East Jerusalem) writes today that the American Jewish Committee has not
run from a debate with "bums" Walt and Mearsheimer. Seems the AJC has merely
delayed such a debate, forever.
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/07/mearsheimer-cspan-would-cover-a-de\
bate-jump-up-to-it-yivo-.html

It's time for Yivo to host a debate with Walt and Mearsheimer
There's a new director at Yivo Institute for Jewish Research. A guy from the
Yale Press, Jonathan Brent. On a few occasions on this site I have challenged
Yivo, which conducted a smearfest of Walt and Mearsheimer in 2007, during which
they were repeatedly denounced as the second
coming of Father Coughlin, to invite these non-Jewish scholars of
Jewish history to the Yivo stage to defend their position. Now that David Harris
of the American Jewish Committee has baited Mearsheimer to debate, then run from
the debate, it ups the ante for Yivo to do the right thing.
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/07/its-time-for-yivo-to-host-a-debate\
-with-walt-and-mearsheimer.html

How “Farah” lived her days during the war on Gaza?
(Pal
Telegraph) - My daughter "Farah" is in the 9th grade, she studies in
the ROSARY SISTERS SCHOOL in the southern side of Gaza city. The
school was built in 1995 by the support of the French government and it
runs by a group of nuns. The students are a mixture of Muslims and
Christians; this also goes for the teachers as well, there is not a
problem what so ever between them at all. The people there deal with
each other in sincere and friendly manners, or we can say they live in
harmony.From both religions, "Farah" has many friends that she always
calls and talks to over the phone or visits and invites them to our
house.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/diaries/85-diaries/1359-how-farah-lived-her-days-dur\
ing-the-war-on-gaza

Keeping Gaza's Food Traditions Alive
Palestinian cuisine is as varied as the land, which ranges from the
lush green valleys of the north to the desert dunes of the south. As 80
percent of Gaza's population are refugees displaced in 1948, within
Gaza one finds food traditions from every part of Palestine. A lot of
the foods, especially those found in restaurants (hummus, ful,
mutabbal, mejaddra) are common throughout the Levant. Nonetheless, a
specifically Gazan cuisine does persist, distinct from other
Palestinian or Levantine cuisines in its generous use of hot peppers,
cumin, and dill, and sour fruits like pomegranite, tamarind and plums.
http://food.theatlantic.com/abroad/the-varied-food-of-gaza-1.php

Lebanon
Lebanese indicted for spying on Hezbollah
A
Lebanese military prosecutor on Wednesday formally charged and demanded
life in prison for a car dealer who allegedly passed information about
Hezbollah to Israel.

http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Lebanon/10331866.html

Marwan Kamel Faqih, Spy and Son of Spy, Sentenced to Death
Finally,
the first ruling against those accused of spying for the Israeli enemy
was issued. Indeed, Lebanon's military examining magistrate Judge
Rashid Mizher ordered on Wednesday the death sentence for Marwan Kamel
al-Faqih, the spy and the son of the spy. According to the National
News Agency, Judge Mizher issued an arrest warrant against Faqih for
spying for the Zionist entity and supplying it with confidential
information on Hezbollah officials, the Lebanese Armed Forces and the
Internal Security Forces. Faqih is also accused of visiting the
Palestinian occupied territories, meeting with Mossad officials and
training to use advanced communication devices to contact Tel Aviv.
http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=94800&language=en

UN says ammo probably triggered south Lebanon blast (AFP)
AFP
- The UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon on Wednesday said that a
series of blasts in an area considered to be a Hezbollah stronghold was
probably caused by stockpiled ammunition and marked a "serious
violation" of a UN Security Council resolution.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090715/wl_mideast_afp/lebanonblasthezbollahun

Iraq
18 hurt by Baghdad bomb targeting Shiite pilgrims (AP)
AP
- Eighteen people were injured Thursday in an explosion that targeted a
minibus transporting Shiite pilgrims to a holy shrine to commemorate
the death of a revered imam.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090716/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq

Wednesday: 9 Iraqis Killed, 25 Wounded
At
least nine Iraqis were killed and 25 more were wounded on what would
have been a quiet day if not for a bombing in Ramadi. The bombing and
an unrelated arrest in another Anbar city may signal that the quiet
province could once again see regular violence from Sunni militias.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2009/07/15/wednesday-9-iraqis-killed-25-woun\
ded/

Iraqis have told U.S. military no patrols permitted in Baghdad
American
officers have been surprised to learn that "out of the cities" meant
just that. "The Iraqis have been hell-bent on taking control of all
security operations in the city and completely excluding the
Americans," one U.S. officer in Baghdad said, "to the point of
completely refusing to permit U.S. patrols of any kind into the city
except logistics convoys."
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/world/story/71822.html

Private contractors replacing troops in Iraq, Afghanistan
If
you thought the end of American intervention in foreign wars was
nearing, think again. President Obama has been replacing soldiers in
Iraq and Afghanistan with private contractors—some 250,000 are
currently deployed overseas—including Black Water (operating under
another alias.)
http://www.examiner.com/x-6665-Liberal-Examiner~y2009m7d15-Private-contractors-r\
eplacing-troops
-in-Iraq-Afghanistan

Iraq launches bid to recover Saddam-era documents (Reuters)
Reuters
- Iraq wants the United States to help it recover millions of
Saddam-era documents that were seized by U.S. troops or looted in the
mayhem following the former leader's ouster in 2003, officials said on
Wednesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090715/wl_nm/us_iraq_saddam_files

Obama and Iraq's Al Maliki to meet at White House
US President Barack Obama will meet Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki at the
White House next week.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Iraq/10331867.html

Displaced Iraqi women increasingly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse
Washington,
DC – Iraqi women who have been uprooted by violence in their country
are increasingly susceptible to exploitation and abuse because of
extreme financial pressures, a new field report from Refugees
International (RI) described today. The report states that domestic
violence among Iraqi refugees is increasing in Syria, and that reports
of domestic violence are higher among the displaced population in
northern Iraq. Displaced women are also more vulnerable to forced early
marriages, "temporary marriages," prostitution, trafficking, and
domestic violence. Because returning home is not currently an option
for the vast majority of these women, RI is calling for greater
financial support for Iraqi refugee families and internally displaced
people, and stronger laws and police and judicial structures in Iraq to
limit violence against women.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/STRI-7TYN9V?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P

U.S.
Cheney Sweating Bullets
So
far the summer has been mild in the Washington, D.C., area. But for
former Vice President Dick Cheney the temperature is well over 100
degrees. He is sweating profusely, and it is becoming increasingly
clear why. Cheney has broken openly with former President George W.
Bush on one issue of transcendent importance — to Cheney. For whatever
reason, Bush decided not to hand out blanket pardons before they both
rode off into the sunset.
http://www.counterpunch.com/mcgovern07152009.html

Ex-Powell aide suggests CIA assassination program was actually active
The
secret CIA program allegedly aimed at assassinating suspected
terrorists abroad has raised the eyebrows of at least one former senior
Bush Administration official who hints that the program may have
actually gone into effect, despite the denials of the agency and
congressional staff who have been briefed.
http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/07/15/wilkerson-cia-program-active/

The Man Who Knew Cheney's Secret
The
New Yorker's Seymour Hersh was mocked in March when he referred to Dick
Cheney’s secret squad of CIA assassins. Now, he talks to The Daily
Beast about the next shoe to drop.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-07-14/the-man-who-knew-chene\
ys-secret/

CIA kill teams modeled on Israel commandos
Proposed
CIA kill teams were to be modeled on teams fielded by Israel after the
1972 Munich Olympics massacre, a former senior U.S. official told
Newsweek.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/07/14/CIA-kill-teams-modeled-on-Israel-commando\
s/UPI-15201247604223/

MSNBC commentator pipes line that Arab states worry about Iran more than peace
process. He's wrong
This
afternoon on MSNBC, Mark Whitaker said of Hillary's speech that some
Arab states care more about Iran than they do about the peace
process--that they seek American pressure to stop Iranian nukes more
than pressure to resolve the Israel/Palestinian conflict. (Don't have a
transcript, sorry.) I hear this line regularly and asked a smart
friend who studies the Arab states. He said that Whitaker was imbibing
pro-Israel propaganda. Yes, the Arab states care about nuclear
disarmament, but the chief concern is Israel.
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/07/msnbc-commentator-pipes-line-that-\
arab-states-worry-about-iran-more
-than-peace-process-hes-wrong.html

A top US diplomat holds talks with Syrian officials
Gaza, July 16, 2009 (Ramattan) – A US diplomat has held talks on
Thursday with Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem in what appears
to be a possible bid to resume peace talks between Syria and Israel,
Syrian sources said.
http://english.ramattan.net/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=40566


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www.TheHeadlines.org

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