NOVANEWS
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In NY harbor, Ahmet Dogan tells the wrenching story of the murder of his son, freedom rider Furkan Dogan
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Land swaps? Israel doesn’t have enough land to give the Palestinians
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Open border, 1000-year-old olive trees, new Israeli stun guns
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Republican drumbeat begins: Obama will bring about ‘destruction’ of Israel
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David Rovics– What are your borders, Israel, drawn in black and white?
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Egypt opens Gaza border, and Kadima blames Netanyahu
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The essential +972 is fundraising
In NY harbor, Ahmet Dogan tells the wrenching story of the murder of his son, freedom rider Furkan Dogan
May 29, 2011
Susan Johnson
Wednesday evening, May 25 was the perfect evening for a boat trip….calm waters, a slight breeze, a star-filled sky, the twinkling lights of New York, excellent food, Jamaican music… Jamaican music? That’s hardly Middle Eastern, especially when your boat trip is sponsoring THE boat trip…The US Boat to Gaza, The AUDACITY of HOPE.
There were three hundred to four hundred people opening our hearts, wallets and checkbooks in support of the Audacity of Hope. What a perfect name for a US boat bound for Gaza. This boat will carry no medicine, building materials or any form of aid. It is strictly a voyage of support for Gaza and an end to Israel’s illegal siege. On board will be thousands of letters for the people of Gaza from people in the US.
To Gaza With Love is the project’s name; they’re asking for long letters, short letters, notes telling the people of Gaza they are not forgotten and have our support. Will letters solve the I/P problems? Certainly not, but they provide a very personal connection between someone in Gaza and someone in the US. As I’m writing this I’m thinking back to 2009 and Gaza. The people we met almost always asked us “when you go home tell everyone how things are in Gaza” When we said we would, many replied, “Everyone says they will, but we never hear from them again.” Let them hear from the US!
Should you want to send a letter or two, mail to: Letters to Gaza,. 119 West 72nd Street #158, New York, NY 10023
Felice Gelman told of plans being made by Gaza’s Qattan Center for the Child to sponsor an exhibit of a selection of letters accompanied by drawings created by children in their programs. Qattan has a large library and I suspect some of those letters will become a part of their collection
Singer-songwriter Kathy Near sang songs that took us back to the ’60s and the Freedom Riders. There are many similarities between the mission of the Freedom Riders and the Audacity of Hope. Both saw injustice and felt they had to stand up for justice, equality and freedom for all. Kathy had us raising our voices in song in support of the Audacity of Hope and people who’ll sail to Gaza.
Dr Ahmet Dogan, whose son, Furkan was murdered aboard the Mavi Marmara, was with us to share the story of his son. Actually, it wasn’t “a story”; he shared much of himself as he shared Faukan’s life and his death with us. I doubt many people would be able to share such intimate and painful memories. He asked to speak in his native language; explaining it is easier to talk about Furkan in Turkish than English.
Furkan was born in New York state while his father was studying in the US. Because of this Furkan had dual citizenship in the US and Turkey. The Dogans returned to Turkey when Furkan was two. He was a happy, peaceful child; rarely causing any one any trouble. In 2010 he was 19, finishing high school and thinking of returning to the US to improve his English and visit the place where he was born. Those plans were put aside when, on the way home from school, he saw a sign announcing opportunities for volunteers to sail aboard a Turkish ship traveling to Gaza with humanitarian aid.
The sign changed his life. Dr Dogan said Furkan had always been concerned about people who were mistreated. He was determined to be a volunteer on the Mavi Marmara. He studied about Gaza, applied to volunteer and wasn’t accepted because of his age. He continued asking and applying; giving reasons why he would be a good choice. Dr Dogan and his wife had reservations about his participation; however Furkan was so excited they decided he would have their support. Finally Furkan’s application was accepted. He was going to sail to Gaza on the Mavi Marmara. It was an exciting time even though the Dogans continued to have reservations.
When Furkan left for the voyage he discovered he only had his American passport. He called his father, was very worried and asked him to try bringing his Turkish one to him. The Mavi Marmara set off with the International Flotilla and high hopes of docking in the Gaza harbor.
Dr and Mrs Dogan followed news of the flotilla, especially the Mavi Marmara. The Israeli Navy began approaching the flotilla but the Dogans didn’t expect any real trouble. Dr Dogan went to bed, his wife stayed up glued to the television. He awoke to her screams and crying. The Mari Marmara was boarded by Israelis, there was fighting and shooting, there was news that people had been killed. Though it was traumatic, Dr Dogan was certain Furkan was not involved. They heard nine Turkish citizens were killed; then later reports changed to eight Turks and someone else and finally the person was described as an American.
Dr Dogan spent hours with Turkish officials and the American Embassy trying to find where Furkan was.He wasn’t given any information but he continued to ask.The United States acted as though Furkan had no connection to the US even though they were given proof he was a citizen. Finally Turkey made arrangements to fly all Turkish citizens back to Turkey; it was also bringing the bodies of those killed.
Dr Dogan went to the airport to meet Furkan. He was carrying a clean set of clothes for his son. He was certain Furkan would be on the plane even though he’d heard nothing from officials. He described the night in the airport as the worst in his life. He searched and searched for Furkan and could not find him. He continued searching for hours, all the time checking with officials for news of his son. He was certain Furkan was there somewhere.
Finally an official suggested Dr Dogan come with him to the morgue; maybe he could identify one of the bodies. In disbelief Dr Dougan found Furkan. He had a bullet hole in his forehead….it was clear the bullet had been shot at close range. It was also clear his son had been murdered, intentionally.There were additional injuries and bullet holes. Furkan was not a violent person. Who could have done this? Who murdered his son? No one would give him any answer, not even a hint as to what happened.
In spite of all that has happened, the Dogan’s other son has applied to sail on the Turkish ship in the 2nd International Flotilla…perhaps all that has happened has motivated him.Turkish authorities have turned down his application. They believe one from a family is enough. He continues trying to win their approval.
Since Furkan’s murder Dr. Dougan has tried to get information about Israel’s attack on the Mavi Marmara. He has turned to the American Embassy, which has offered absolutely no help. The US provides over three billion dollars in military aid to Israel each year.The US shares responsibility with Israel for the attack and murders on the Mavi Marmara and the attacks and boarding of other ships in the flotilla.The US must have reports about the incidents but will not respond to Mr Dogan’s requests even though his son was a US Citizen. Is this how the US treats its citizens? Is it responding this way because Israel is involved; telling them not to? It is disgraceful!
Dr Dogan spoke through an English interpreter. Even though Dr Dogan was speaking in Turkish, his statement was heart-wrenching. His emotions; hopeful, trusting, frustration, fear, shock, sadness, grief were all quite visible. At times his voice was so personal, hesitating between words, choking with emotion…I felt I was intruding or overhearing someone when I shouldn’t. He wiped tears from his eyes; his body seemed to wither in pain and sadness. I wanted to shield him from the hurt; make it go away. I was wrong; those emotions help bring about healing. Dr. Dogan is an amazing man. He spoke through his interpreter and through his own movements and voice. He told us about Furkan, the Mavi Marmara and what he experienced. I’ll never forget his story, which was not a story.
And in a few weeks the 2nd International Flotilla will sail to the Gaza Harbor. President Obama has called for other countries to oppose the Flotilla and oppose their citizens’ participation. Other countries are speaking out against it. Even the UN says the flotilla is a bad idea. Israel says the flotilla will promote violence; it must protect its citizens, their safety is compromised by the terrorists participating in the flotilla.
I have four friends sailing on the Audacity of Hope. They would have been on a a bus with the Freedom Riders. They believe in non-violence, they believe the siege is illegal and wrong, they oppose Israel’s treatment of Gaza, they support the people of Gaza and their right to freedom, equality, justice….they are entitled to a life. The Audacity of Hope brings hope Israel’s siege of Gaza will be broken.
Land swaps? Israel doesn’t have enough land to give the Palestinians
May 29, 2011
Philip Weiss
Brilliant reporting by Nathan Jeffay in the Forward, on the question of land swaps. Is there even enough land to swap, per the Obama idea? And what would swapping mean? There are several issues: There isn’t enough Israeli land to give the Palestinians to make a swap even-steven, hard-core settlers outside the settlment blocs would never leave the West Bank so that ups the percentage of land that would have to be swapped; and then what if “populated” areas are included in the swaps– Israelis moved off land inside Israel to give it to the Palestinians, Israeli Palestinians transferred with their land to the Palestinian state. A recognized idea in Europe, someone tells the Forward. But it does make you wonder about the limits of ethnic nationalism. (Just imagine for one second American Jews being asked to transfer their residency from Massachusetts to New York in order to solidify the Jewish #s in New York…)
Some excerpts from the Forward reporting:
The solution Obama talked about, one that is “based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps,” means that Israel would hold on to some settled areas that it captured in 1967 and compensate the Palestinians with land that currently falls under Israeli sovereignty…. But in Israel, many experts say there simply isn’t enough free land under Israeli sovereignty to exchange for them….
[Ehud Olmert] wanted 6.3% of the territories — that is, the West Bank and Gaza — which would keep 75% of settlers in their homes.
But Olmert could make such an offer only because he ignored three principles on which Palestinian leaders insist. The first is that exchanges must be on an acre-for-acre ratio, and Olmert was offering only areas equivalent of 5.8% of the territories. The second is that the land must be what they consider good quality — usually assessed from agricultural criteria — while large sections of what Olmert offered are not easily cultivated. The third is that Palestinians must be compensated acre for acre for the Israeli presence in parts of Jerusalem that was captured in 1967, while Olmert’s calculations discounted Jerusalem….
[And where could the Israeli land come from?]
According to [Geneva Initiative Shaul Arieli’s] analysis, 2% can be found along the Gaza border; 1% near the West Bank, in the Lakhish district in south central Israel, and another 1% near the West Bank in the Beit She’an Valley, in northern Israel. There is also 1% close to the West Bank near Arad, in southern Israel, but it is mostly nonagricultural land.
Of course, the figures are tight only if populated areas are off the table.
Currently, nobody in Israel is suggesting evacuating kibbutzim or small villages populated by Jews to free up space for exchange. But David Newman, professor of political geography at Ben-Gurion University and chief editor of the journal Geopolitics, believes this could change. “It’s only as taboo as talking about land swaps was 15 years ago, or talking about a Palestinian state was 20 years ago,” he said.
Swapping areas populated by Arabs is, however, already an accepted principle by many in Israel.
Open border, 1000-year-old olive trees, new Israeli stun guns
May 29, 2011
Kate
and other news from Today in Palestine:
Gaza
Travelers sought as Gaza terminal empties quickly
Reuters 28 May — “Is there anyone who wants to travel?” asked a black-uniformed Hamas policeman at a cafe near the border terminal gate. Under the new regulations implemented by Egypt on Saturday, far more Gaza travelers can use Rafah crossing, the Hamas-controlled enclave’s doorway to the world, after Cairo waived visa requirements for women, minors and men over 40. The crossing will also operate six days a week instead of five and working hours are to be extended by two hours a day. “It is a historic day,” said bearded 52-year-old Jamal Abu Jalalah, going to visit his mother-in-law in Cairo.”Last time they sent me back saying my documents were not complete and that I didn’t have a visa, now I hope to cross under the new, great move Egypt has made,” he said as he jumped into the bus heading toward the Egyptian gate. Some 450 passengers crossed into the Egyptian side of the terminal within the first four hours of it opening for business on Saturday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/28/us-palestinians-egypt-crossing-idUSTRE74R18820110528
Video: Opening the Rafah crossing
28 May — Hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza have entered Egypt as the Rafah border crossing was reopened on Saturday by Egypt’s interim military government … Al Jazeera’s Nicole Johnston reports from the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrtCqHLXoZU&feature=share
Hundreds cross newly opened Rafah crossing
AP 28 May — Rami Arafat, 52, was among the earliest arrivals. He said he hoped to catch a flight out of Cairo on Sunday to Algeria for his daughter’s wedding. “All we need is to travel like humans, be treated with dignity, and feel like any other citizens of the world who can travel in and out freely,” Arafat said. He said he believed the relaxing of travel restrictions “will guarantee more support from all Arabs and Palestinians for the new Egyptian regime.” … One woman, who gave her name as Aisha, said she was headed for a long overdue medical checkup in Cairo. She underwent surgery for blocked arteries at a Cairo hospital in October, but Egyptian authorities had prevented her from returning for checkups because a distant relative was caught – and killed – operating a smuggling tunnel on the Gaza-Egypt border.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4075027,00.html
Fatah official hails brave Egyptian decision to open Rafah crossing
Reuters/AP 28 May — Nabil Shaath, a senior Fatah official visiting the Gaza Strip, praised on Saturday Egypt’s decision to permanently open the Rafah border crossing. “We are very happy, it was a brave decision by Egypt to open the crossing and to dismantle the prison imposed by Israel on the people (of Gaza),” Shaath said. “Opening this door does not mean Egypt wants to allow bombs and explosives … Egypt wants to allow safe passage of individuals who want to conduct their lives,” he continued. According to Shaath, the opening of the border crossing came as a result of the reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas, which “has made the job easier for Cairo … as now they are dealing with one (Palestinian) entity”, he said.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/fatah-official-hails-brave-egyptian-decision-to-open-rafah-crossing-1.364572
Kadima: Opening of Gaza border is national failure for Netanyahu
Haaretz 28 May — Israel opposition party Kadima issues statement after Egypt decision to permanently open Rafah crossing to Gaza, saying this is breach of deal brokered by Kadima with international assistance.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/kadima-opening-of-gaza-border-is-national-failure-for-netanyahu-1.364561
Egypt re-opens Gaza border, partially dismantling siege / Richard Silverstein
Tikun Olam 28 May — …Ethan Bronner, as usual acting as the stenographer for the Israeli government andconveying the wishful thinking of its policy “experts,” claims the lifting of the Egyptian siege will actually help Israeli policy goals. It supposedly will place a greater burden on Egypt to police its borders and, by extension, Hamas. But the most laughable claim by the Israelis is that lifting the siege will actually release international pressure on Israel, since there presumably would no longer be any humanitarian crisis to make the world scream bloody murder. What this neglects though, is that Egypt will likely shortly allow everything to enter Gaza, not just people. And when that happens, Israel will look stupid if it maintains a blockade. It’s reminds me of the extraordinary lengths to which the French went to build the Maginot Line, which they believed made them impregnable to German attack. There was only one problem: when the Germans attacked, they went around it and conquered France in record time. Maintaining a siege on one border when the other is completely open looks not only mean-spirited and ineffectual, but downright dumb. Israel doesn’t like to be seen by the world as dumb. So I predict even the Israeli siege will be drastically modified in six months or less.
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2011/05/28/egypt-re-opens-gaza-border-partially-dismantling-siege/
Experts analyze opening of Rafah crossing
Ynet 28 May — Major-General (res.) Giora Eiland believes there are political advantages to opening of Rafah crossing while former Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter claims status of Egyptian policy is more important
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4075060,00.html
PGPF hopes for Egypt transport of Gaza-bound PVC pipes on land
Kuala Nerang 28 May (Bernama) — Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF) has expressed the hope that Egyptian authorities allow Gaza-bound PVC pipes to be transported on land without going through Israel. PGPF advisor Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir said the foundation was told that if humanitarian mission members were to unload the items from the aid ship, MV Finch, and send them to Gaza, they must go through Israel. He added that based on previous experience, only a small portion of aid items would reach Gaza if they were sent through Israel, if at all.
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=589824
UN chief discourages a new Gaza aid flotilla
AFP 28 May — UN chief Ban Ki-moon called on governments on Friday to discourage pro-Palestinian activists from sending a new aid flotilla to Gaza a year after Israeli commandos killed nine people aboard a previous convoy. The United Nations meanwhile said it was giving a panel set up to investigate last year’s incident more time to finish its work. It suggested that the group, which diplomats and UN officials say has been held up by disputes between its Turkish and Israeli members, might not reach consensus.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=391631
Turkey: Israel should avoid flotilla faceoff
AP 27 May — Turkey’s foreign minister says he hopes Israel will avoid confrontation as a new aid flotilla prepares to depart for the Gaza Strip. Ahmet Davutoğlu said in an interview aired on Ulke TV late Thursday that he believes Israel “has gained sufficient experience” after last year’s raid on a flotilla that killed eight Turks and one Turkish-American and sparked international outrage.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4074706,00.html
Land, property, resources theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Settlers
66 year old shepherd from the village of Madama attacked by settlers
[photos, more info than WAFA story] ISM 27 May — On Thursday May 26, Hamad Jaber Qut, a 66 year old shepherd from the village of Madama, was taken to hospital after being attacked by settlers with sticks and knives. At about 16:30 whilst Hamad was herding sheep in the mountains of Madama, situated near the illegal settlement of Yitzhar, approximately 15 settlers approached him. Due to his sight problems Hamad wasn’t initially able to recognize that the men were settlers. In an unprovoked attack the settlers beat him with thick wooden sticks and knives for about five or ten minutes, until one resident of the village saw what was happening and called for help. Hamad, who was badly injured was taken to Rafidia hospital in Nablus, where he is still feeling very weak. He has approximately 25 injuries all over his body, especially his head and hands, and will stay in the hospital until he recovers
http://palsolidarity.org/2011/05/18554/
CPT: Settlers torch Palestinian olive groves
HEBRON (Ma‘an) 28 May — Israeli settlers set fire to an olive grove belonging to a Palestinian family near Hebron on Friday, an international monitoring group reported. The fire damaged 16 trees belonging to the Abu Haikel family in Tel Rumeida, Christian Peacemaker Teams said, adding that some of the trees affected were over 1,000 years old. Palestinian firefighters arrived to put out the blaze, but Israeli soldiers confiscated their hoses and gave them old equipment to use, CPT said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=391716
Settlers to march in Sheikh Jarrah next Wednesday
IMEMC 28 May — Extremist Israeli settlers intend to hold a provocative procession starting from Sheikh Jarrah Palestinian neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem to mark 44 years since Israel occupied the city. Israeli paper, Yedioth Aharonoth, reported that the protest is planned for next Wednesday, as it marks the 44th anniversary of occupying Jerusalem, according to the Hebrew calendar. The extremist settlers intend to march through the Bab Al Amoud and the Hebron Gate, in order to hold their procession in the heart of the occupied Old City of Jerusalem, filled with illegal Jewish-only settlements. The Israeli paper said that extremist settler leader Michael Ben-Ari stated that the protesters “will be dancing while waving Israeli flags,” and that “this would be a message to U.S. President Barack Obama, who is conspiring to divide Jerusalem,” according to Ben-Ari. The Israeli police said it would be deploying dozens of police officers in order to “protect the settlers” as they tour in the Arab and Palestinian neighborhoods.
http://www.imemc.org/article/61329
NGO declares ‘commercial disaster’ in Jerusalem’s Old City
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC) 28 May — The Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights has declared a “disaster” in the Old City’s commercial and tourism sectors after Israel used hefty taxes and other pressures to shut down 250 shops in the past few years. JCSER director Ziyad al-Hammouri expected the situation to worsen as the campaign to Judaize the Old City thrives. “What is taking place is designed to promote the presence of Jewish settlements inside the city walls and the entire area surrounding the Old City, especially in Silwan, Ras al-Amud, and Sheikh Jarrah, which are neighborhoods geographically connected to the Old City. There is also a plan to erect shopping centers and hotels in the area similar to those built near the Gate of Al-Khalil,” Hammouri said.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcO
Arbitrary fines issued en masse in Ein Aluza
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) 27 May — Israeli armed forces and Jerusalem Municipality traffic officers raided Ein Aluza neighborhood today distributing fines to residents en masse. Drivers, pedestrians and shopkeepers were targeted arbitrarily. Resident Moussa Abu Tayeh told Silwanic that he was issued a fine for 450 NIS on the pretext of displaying a vegetable stand outside his store. Like other neighborhoods in Silwan, Ein Aluza does not receive basic municipal services such as garbage collection. Its residents remain subject to municipal fines however.
http://silwanic.net/?p=17241
Palestinian demolishes own home in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (WAFA) 28 May — A Palestinian living in Jerusalem tore down his house by himself Saturday to avoid paying the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem exorbitant amount if it tore down the house using its crews, according to local sources. The municipality had issued a demolition order to Mahmoud Aramin for building a house near the Old City wall without a license. He has been paying monthly installments for fines the municipality had already imposed on him. Israel does not grant building permits to Palestinians to build in East Jerusalem as part of its effort to reduce the number of Palestinians in the occupied city
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=16264
Activism / Solidarity
Israeli soldiers suppress West Bank protests injuring many
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PIC) 28 May — Israeli occupation soldiers fired bullets and stun grenades as they delved into violent clashes on Friday afternoon with Palestinian youths in the Ras al-Amud neighborhood of Jerusalem’s Silwan district. They arrested three locals in the confrontations [other protests in Al-Ma‘sara, Bil‘in, Ni‘lin]
In a separate development, an Israeli settler raided the Aqsa Mosque after Friday prayers. Israeli occupation police transported him to safety after angered locals discovered him. The locals chased him inside the mosque’s plazas and handed him over to the soldiers when they caught him.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd8
WATCH: Israeli police use stun guns for the first time against Jewish protesters / Joseph Dana
972mag 28 May — A demonstration against the settler takeover of East Jerusalem was held in the neighborhood of Ras al-Amud yesterday afternoon. The demonstration was organized by members of theSheikh Jarrah Solidarity group, an Israeli led nonviolent protest movement based in Jerusalem. Days before the demonstration, a new and illegal Jewish settlement was inaugurated in Ras al-Amud with name of Ma’ale HaZeitim. Yesterday’s demonstration was a nonviolent exercise of the right to protest the illegal Israeli act of creating new settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli police reacted with excessive and violent force against the chanting Jewish protesters. For the first time, police used electronic stun guns against protesters who, locked arm in arm and sitting peacefully, refused to move from the entrance to the settlement. You can clearly see the use of the stun guns in the first video at minute 1:35. The second video provides a fuller picture of the demonstration. Six protesters were arrested in the course of the protest. One claims her hand was broken by police.
http://972mag.com/israeli-police-use-stun-guns-for-the-first-time-against-jewish-protesters/
The beauty of defiance: Solidarity in Ras al-Amud / David Shulman
27 May …It is hot, dusty, dry, and from the start I’m thirsty, and it keeps getting worse. I’m also a little high on the mood of the crowd: I sense a savvy toughness, a clarity of purpose, and I feel the rage. The lines are lucidly drawn. Some 20 to 30 settler children, boys and girls, and a few adults line the rooftop overlooking the street and the activists milling just below them; sometimes the children spit at us, or spray us with water (not unwelcome in the fierce heat), and sometimes they sing or chant, as if to mimic the rhymed slogans we’re shouting to the beat of the drums. They hang a sign down from the roof: “refuah shlemah, Speedy Recovery,” the implication being that we are mad, perhaps suffering from some kind of mass psychosis. Perhaps they’re right. Would Jews demonstrate against other Jews, even if the latter are out-and-out thieves? But not only Jews are here to demonstrate today; there are many Palestinians, far more than in most of the Sheikh Jarrah demonstrations, and they’re up front in the thick of it, facing the police … A Palestinian boy, maybe 12 years old, takes the megaphone and boldly leads the chanting for a few minutes, half in Arabic, half in Hebrew, the languages running together on his tongue: la l’ihtilal, ken le-meri ezrahi, “No to Occupation, Yes to Civil Disobedience.” I like the sound of it, coming from him.
http://www.en.justjlm.org/470
IOF declares ‘Iraq Burin closed military zone
NABLUS (PIC) 28 May — The Israel occupation forces (IOF) has declared ‘Iraq Burin village south of Nablus city in the West Bank a closed military zone in a bid to block media and activists from entering the village ahead of anti-apartheid wall protests. The IOF has erected a barrier at the entrance between the villages of ‘Iraq Burin and Tel, as soldiers have begun searching civilians and blocked entry to all but the village’s residents, Iraq Burin mayor Abdul-Raheem Qaddous told our correspondent. Qaddous said the move was a proactive step to curb marches organized every Saturday by locals to protest the confiscation of land and settlement construction as well as repeated attacks by settlers.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcO
A tale from the frontline of Palestinian protest / Robert Fisk
Independent 28 May — I went to see Munib Masri in his Beirut hospital bed yesterday morning. He is part of the Arab revolution, although he doesn’t see it that way. He looked in pain — he was in pain — with a drip in his right arm, a fever, and the fearful wounds caused by an Israeli 5.56mm bullet that hit his arm. Yes, an Israeli bullet – because Munib was one of thousands of young and unarmed Palestinians and Lebanese who stood in their thousands in front of the Israeli army’s live fire two weeks ago on the very border of the land they call “Palestine”.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-a-tale-from-the-frontline-of-palestinian-protest-2290180.html
Detention / Summonses
Israel summons Palestinians for interrogation
TULKAREM (Ma‘an) 28 May — Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers deployed in the northern West Bank on Saturday, delivering summonses telling Palestinians to appear for questioning. The incident caused traffic jams on the Tulkarem-Qalqiliya road as soldiers and intelligence officers stopped vehicles passing through the area and searched cars and people … Forces entered Madama village, near Nablus, and ordered Hesham Ziada, Mujahed Qut, and Yasar Nassar to appear before intelligence services, village councilor Hasen Ziada said. Soldiers broke into several homes during the raid, Ziada added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=391772
Israeli prisons charge Palestinian detainees for medical treatment
JENIN (Ma‘an) 28 May — Israel’s prison administrations charge Palestinian detainees for medical treatment, a prisoners’ center said Friday. Ahmad Asfour was charged 700 shekels (around $200) for surgery on his hand and has to pay 1,500 shekels each month for medicine, the center said, adding that the detainee needed further surgery on his pancreas. Asfour’s father told the center he could not afford his son’s medical bills. Asfour was detained by Israeli forces in 2009 at Beit Hanoun checkpoint. He was on his way to Jerusalem for medical treatment. [Other examples of this?]
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=391499
Man hospitalized in Hamas police custody, relatives say
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 28 May — A man detained by Hamas internal security forces has been hospitalized in Gaza City, relatives said Saturday. Anwar Isma‘il Abu Ghanim, 46, has been in the custody of Hamas forces for 50 days, his nephew Tamir said. The detainee informed his family by telephone that he was taken to Ash-Shifa Hospital, and that he had lost consciousness several times, Tamir said. Abu Ghanim’s family urged Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh to release him. They said he had been detained without a trial. Tamir told Ma’an his uncle had never been involved in politics. The family’s lawyer visited Abu Ghanim 10 days ago and was told he would appear in a military court within two weeks, his nephew added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=391688
Political / Diplomatic / International news
Fatah, Hamas hold talks in Gaza City
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 28 May — Hamas and Fatah officials met in Gaza City on Friday to discuss the implementation of the recently-signed reconciliation agreement. Party representatives addressed the formation of a new government, political detainees, the issuance of passports, freedom of the press and the operation of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in Gaza, Fatah official Nabil Shaath said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=391652
PA preventive apparatus say they have no orders to change dealing with Hamas
TULKAREM, (PIC) 28 May — Officers of the infamous PA preventive security apparatus in the West Bank said Friday they have no orders to stop the harsh dealing with Hamas members, stressing they would monitor Hamas activists despite the signing of the reconciliation agreement … In other Palestinian cities in the West Bank, including Qalqilya and Nablus, a number of Palestinian citizens were arrested by the PA Mukhabarat (intelligence) department for supporting Hamas and for refusing to respond to summonses from apparatus. The arrestees said that the Mukhabarat forced them to sign an undertaking not to participate in Hamas rallies and activities in the West Bank.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd8
Top UN official: US veto would block vote on Palestinian statehood
AP 27 May — President of UN General Assembly says at press conference no way a Palestinian state could become a member of the UN without a recommendation from the Security Council.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/top-un-official-u-s-veto-would-block-vote-on-palestinian-statehood-1.364506
Abbas: We want to co-exist with Israel
Reuters 27 May — A day before Arab League summit in Doha, Palestinian president says he isn’t seeking to isolate, delegitimize Israel, but rather co-exist with it; however, Abbas cautions that Palestinians will pursue unilateral bid for UN recognition of statehood unless peace talks resume
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4074818,00.html
Abbas: No hope for peace talks, only option is UN recognition of statehood
Reuters 28 May — The Palestinian president said on Saturday there were “no shared foundations” for peace talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and seeking UN recognition of Palestinian statehood was his only option. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing an Arab League meeting in Doha, expressed concern that taking the diplomatic step opposed by the United States and Israel could result in financial sanctions and urged Arab states to fill any gap.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/abbas-no-hope-for-peace-talks-only-option-is-un-recognition-of-statehood-1.364613
Arab League to seek full UN membership for Palestinian state
Reuters 28 May — An Arab League committee decided on Saturday to seek full UN membership for a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital, it said in a statement. The Arab League’s peace process follow-up committee said it would request membership for the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly’s meeting in New York in September.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/arab-league-to-seek-full-un-membership-for-palestinian-state-1.364626
‘Obama trying to head off trainwreck at UN in September’
Haaretz 27 May — Outgoing U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell tells Charlie Rose that the UN recognizing a Palestinian state would be ‘very harmful for Israel, for the U.S., and not good for the peace process.’
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/obama-trying-to-head-off-trainwreck-at-un-in-september-1.364474
Lieberman thanks Canada PM for objection to 1967 borders at G8
Haaretz 27 May — The foreign minister tells Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper ‘Canada is a true friend of Israel,’ after Harper insisted that no mention of Israel’s pre-1967 borders be made in the leaders’ final communiqué.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/lieberman-thanks-canada-pm-for-objection-to-1967-borders-at-g8-1.364502
Lebanese NGO welcomes president’s statements on right of return
BEIRUT, (PIC) 28 May — The Thabit organization for the right of return in Lebanon has welcomed statements by Lebanese president Gen. Michel Suleiman on Thursday confirming the Palestinian refugees’ right of return. The president declared that the UN has recognized the “inalienable” right as a basic human right and reiterated refusal to resettle the refugees in Lebanon.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bc
Protests in Jordan demand closure of Israeli embassy
AMMAN, (PIC) 28 May — Hundreds protested in several areas of Jordan’s capital Amman, demanding closure of the Israeli embassy there and nullification of the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty. The protests condemned recent statements by Netanyahu this week ruling out the possibility of retracting to 1967 borders or recognizing the Palestinian refugees’ right of return if negotiations resumed with the Palestinians. The crowd burned Israeli flags in response to a petition that Israeli Knesset member Arye Eldad recently tried to submit to the Jordanian embassy in Israel referring to Jordan as the alternative home for the Palestinians … The events were attended by national figures, MPs, party and union leaders, as well as tribal leaders.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2b
Other news
Palestinian ‘first Arab woman’ to scale Everest
DUBAI (AFP) 28 May — Suzanne Al-Houby, a Palestinian who lives in the United Arab Emirates, has become the first Arab woman to scale Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, she said in a statement on Saturday … “I would like to share this triumph with the Palestinian people and all Arabs — especially all the Arab women, young and old, who continue to contribute to the peace and stability of the region we all call home…”
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=391728
Army: Rocket fired from Gaza into Israel
JERUSALEM (AFP) 28 May — A rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel overnight without causing casualties, Israel’s army said Saturday. “A rocket fired from Gaza landed last night in the Eshkol region and caused no injuries or damage,” a military spokesman told AFP. It was the first rocket to have been fired in nearly a month and a half.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=391674
Driver in suspected Nakba Day attack reenacts incident for police
Haaretz 28 May — Truck driver Issa Islam Ibrahim, 22, claims that May 15 incident was not a terrorist attack but rather a series of accidents caused by a flat tire.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/driver-in-suspected-nakba-day-terror-attack-in-tel-aviv-reenacts-incident-for-police-1.364585
Israel ranks 145 on Global Peace Index
Ynet 27 May — Annual peace index crowns Iceland world’s most peaceful nation, Somalia its most dangerous … Israel did not fare so well and was ranked 145 — above Pakistan and Russia, but below Libya and Chad. Israel was ranked 144 in the 2010 GPI, and 119 in 2007 … The Global Peace Index is made up of 23 indicators, ranging from a nation’s level of military expenditure to its relations with neighboring countries and the level of respect for human rights.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4074614,00.html
Rebbe to followers: Burn your iPhones
Ynet 27 May — Leader of Dushinsky Hasidic dynasty threatens to expel members caught with ‘non-kosher’ cellular phones, computer with Internet connection
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4070156,00.html
Introducing ‘Vogue with sleeves’
Ynet 27 May — Nothing about romantic relationships, no pictures of girls over the age of five, and a censor supervising content – this is what new haredi lifestyle magazine Stylish looks like … “We wanted to create a newspaper for haredi women which would be fun, which would allow them to sit quietly with themselves and detach themselves from everything else. Since such a magazine was missing, we founded one.”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4070739,00.html
Analysis / Opinion
1967 borders: land swaps are no cure-all / Roi Maor
972mag 28 May — The idea that the tough choice about settlers can somehow be waved away through the magic wand of land swaps is a fantasy. Any solution that will leave most settlers in place (in one state, or two states) will be just a perpetuation of the conflict under another title … what is truly at stake in the issue of borders is not the amount of land that is to be exchanged, but its geographical distribution. To see why, one need only look at a map created by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a moderate pro-Israeli think tank (h/t to Matt Yglesia).
http://972mag.com/1967-borders-land-swaps-are-no-panacea/
Israelis differ on defensible borders / Robert Mackey
The Lede 27 May — The ongoing dispute about whether or not it is permissible for supporters of Israel to even refer to the country’s 1967 borders as one element in future negotiations with the Palestinians obscures the fact that some Israelis disagree strongly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s view that a country with those frontiers would be “indefensible.”
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/isrealis-differ-on-defensible-borders/?smid=tw-thelede&seid=auto
Netanyahu hypocritically claims that Israel is the best democracy for Arabs / Aziz Abu Sarah
972mag 27 May — The fact that Arab countries treat their citizens badly doesn’t give Israel the moral or legal authority to treat its Palestinian citizens poorly … Netanyahu wanted to present Israel as the only place where Arabs have a true democracy. It makes me wonder if Netanyahu had been listening to his cabinet members’ attacks on Arabs in Israel or if he bothered to ask any ‘Arabs’ of what they think of Israeli democracy. Netanyahu spoke from his imagination, ignoring the reality in which Palestinian Israelis live.He neglected the fact that the current Knesset is the most racist since the creation of the state of Israel. On a regular basis, laws are proposed and passed to limit the freedom of non-Jews in Israel.
http://972mag.com/netanyahu-hypocriticaly-claims-that-israel-is-the-best-democracy-for-arabs/
Nakba: Why did Israeli historians whitewash a short artillery attack? / Yossi Gurvitz
972mag 28 May — Well, at least one good thing came out of Im Tirzu’s latest propaganda pamphlet, written by convicted explosives thief Erez Tadmor and Arel Segal: A re-examination of the flight of Palestinians from Haifa, which the two pointed to as a proof of Jewish purity of arms. An excellent Haaretz article (Hebrew) makes it clear the flight began after the Hagana shelled, on April 22, 1948, Haifa’s market square, after the Palestinians asked for a ceasefire. The shelling killed at least 10 Palestinians – the exact number is unknown. The dead were, according to reports, refugees seeking shelter, not fighters, and the shelling was considered to be the response of the Hagana to the cease-fire request, and led to massive flight … Netanyahu’s claim [to the US Congress] was a blatant lie. He said that Abbas was mixing the dates, since the expulsion (or ‘flight’, as Netanyahu and other right-winger propagandists like to call it) was a result of the invasion by the Arab countries. The Arab armies invaded Israel after its declaration of independence, on May 15th. The shelling of the market in Haifa, and the flight which followed, took place, as mentioned, on the 22nd of April, three weeks earlier. I think it’s clear what followed what.
http://972mag.com/why-did-israeli-historians-whitewash-a-short-artillery-attack/
groups.yahoo.com/group/f_shadi (listserv)
www.theheadlines.org (archive)
Republican drumbeat begins: Obama will bring about ‘destruction’ of Israel
May 29, 2011
Philip Weiss
Here’s a petition from the out-of-control Minnesota congresswoman (thanks to Max Blumenthal). And the other night Michelle Bachmann was on CNN saying that Obama is sticking the knife into Israel. She is plainly doing this to raise money. Well that’s OK: There are more and more indications that the Israel/Palestine issue will be politicized in the next election, and Americans will begin to discuss the question.
The politicization is right now a split between the Democrats and the Republicans. Here are two angry quotes that Noam Sheizaf has picked up from Republican contributor Sheldon Adelson:
Any of the Republican hopefuls “are going to be 180 degrees” different from President Obama in terms of “what’s good for this country and for Israel,” Adelson said, adding that Obama is “the worst president” for Israel.
“All the steps he’s taken against the state of Israel are liable to bring about the destruction of the state,” he asserted.
Of course, this raises the question, of why Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the head of the Democratic National Committee, is meeting with Adelson a week or so back during Netanyahu’s visit. Because many in the Democratic Party don’t want this issue politicized. They don’t want to be forced into an anti- position. They don’t want to criticize the occupation. This is actually where J Street will be useful (or not) politically.
David Rovics– What are your borders, Israel, drawn in black and white?
May 29, 2011
annie
Ordinary people just want to know, where are your borders, Israel? From Rovics’s youtube page:
Listening to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to the US Congress the other day, I wrote this musical response. For a long time now, every time I hear an Israeli patriot or apologist complaining that such-and-such a group or government won’t recognize Israel as a Jewish state, I always wonder — even if there is a good reason the Christians, Muslims and atheists of Palestine should live under some form of Jewish rule, how does one go about recognizing the legitimacy of a state that itself won’t disclose exactly what its borders are? How does that work? Nobody seems to know. Ask the next Israeli you meet and see what they say. Where are your country’s borders?
