NOVANEWS
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Muammar Gaddafi captured and killed in Sirte
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Gary Ackerman blasts NYU divestment campaign, NYU students and faculty blast back
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Connect the dots: In ’02, NYPD began training in Israel; 9 years later, spying against NYC Muslims exposed
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‘Atlantic’ expose on Rick Perry’s affinity for Israel ignores the H2Occupation of Palestine
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Palestinian citizens of Israel are second class citizens, even in the Prague airport
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Pro-Israel donors are at the heart of Defence Ministry scandal in Britain
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Feingold says Palestinian Authority doesn’t acknowledge Israel’s right to exist
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‘New York Times’ claims that ‘Fatah runs the West Bank’
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Rachel Abrams says Palestinian children are ‘devils’ spawn’– while Israeli children play with Transformers and draw your heart strings
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Homeland security and ‘control of the sidewalks’
Muammar Gaddafi captured and killed in Sirte
Oct 20, 2011
Seham
Muammar Gaddafi killed in Sirte
NTC military chief says toppled leader died of wounds following capture near his hometown of Sirte.
Graphic video allegedly showing Gaddafi’s capture:
And more news from Today in Palestine:
Land, property theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Apartheid / Restriction of Movement
Russia Deeply Concerned at New Israeli Settlement Plan
MOSCOW, October 19, 2011 (WAFA) – The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern at the Israeli government’s plans to build new housing units in East Jerusalem, said a press release issued by the ministry on Monday. “The realization by Israeli authorities of such plans, just like the intention to legalize the many settlement outposts built in occupied Palestinian territories, run absolutely counter to the commitments of the Israeli side under the Roadmap,” said the press release.
link to english.wafa.ps
Housing Activities in East Jerusalem Violate International Law: Japan
Tokyo- (PanOrient News) The Japanese government today deplored the Israeli Government plan to construct 2,610 new housing units in Givat Hamatos, East Jerusalem, and say that such settlement activities are a violation of international law. A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo said “The fact that the Israeli government is still proceeding with settlement construction, at a time when the international community is urging both Israeli and Palestinian sides to resume direct negotiations for peace, goes against the ongoing efforts by the international community.”
link to www.panorientnews.com
Checkpoints in the West Bank
Susan Lourenco – Machsomwatch – How much more will settler violence against Palestinians and plundering of their property increase during this year`s olive harvest? How much more theft of olive crops and damage to trees? And what about the ever increasing “blacklisted,” who find, from one day to the next, that their permits have been nullified by the ever insidious arm of the Civil Administration which does its dirty work behind the scenes, hoping to remain out of sight.
link to www.kibush.co.il
Endangered Palestinian village gets int’l media attention– except from the U.S
This is a picture of a Palestinian mayor, Haj Sami Sadeq. Beyond him is the Jordan Valley. Around him are the lands of his village, Al Aqaba. The Israeli army bulldozed the road to his village on Sept. 15, 2 weeks before I shot this picture– trying to cut his village off from the rest of the world. Despite the fact that the entire village is under Israeli demolition orders, despite the fact that Haj Sami is in a wheelchair because he was crippled by the Israeli army when he was 16 years old and just walking on his family lands, despite the fact that his village is not even allowed to drill for water and the people have been slowly leaving this starved place– the mayor believes in peace. Here is the mural on the wall of his school.
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/10/endangered-palestinian-village-gets-intl-media-attention-except-from-the-u-s.html
Plumbing the Depths of Deception:Naomi Scola Ignores the H2Occupation of Palestine, by Nima Shirazi
Among the ways Scola describes Israel’s victory over water scarcity through “a variety of technologies to try to squeeze the maximum possible water from dry land” are “projects focused on water reclamation — that is, using treated waste water, including sewage, to irrigate, cool, or in manufacturing processes.” What Scola omits – and considering she devotes considerable space (nearly 2,000 words) to this issue, the omission can not be anything but willful and deliberate – is Palestine. In fact, the word itself is never uttered once in the entire article, nor is the 44-year occupation and blockade that controls their lives each and every day.
link to www.wideasleepinamerica.com
In Photos: The survival of olives
The olive harvest started in theWest Bankin early October and will continue in some villages until mid-November. Olives have been cultivated in Palestinian land for thousands of years. Around 95% of the harvest is used to make olive oil, with the remainder for pickles, table olives, and soap. The harvest is worth around 364m shekels (£64m) a year to the fragile Palestinian economy, struggling under the burden of occupation. Up to 100,000 families depend upon the olive harvest for their livelihoods to some extent, according to the UN.
link to palsolidarity.org
Gaza
HRW: Lift blockade after prisoner exchange
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel and Hamas should follow the prisoner exchange with measures to improve human rights, such as by lifting the siege of Gaza, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. “The prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas should mark the beginning of an era in which all parties respect basic rights,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. In a statement, Stork said that “Gaza’s civilians should no longer suffer under Israel’s punitive blockade, and Hamas should end abuses of detainees, whether Israeli or Palestinian.”
link to www.maannews.net
Israeli Violence Against Palestinian, Past and Present
Jewish settler throws chemical material on Palestinian youth
A Jewish settlers threw an unknown chemical material on the face of a Palestinian youth in Hawara village, south of Nablus, on Wednesday, his family said.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk
Child abducted by settler and turned over to officials
A 10-year old boy was abducted from Abu Tur neighborhood by a settler yesterday, Monday 17 October. Muhammad al-Khaseeb was taken from the front of his preparatory school by a man said to be a manager in the Elad settler association. Khaseeb was physically assaulted by the settler and a Palestinian man connected to the settler. Silwanic uncovered the abduction yesterday and Khaseeb was eventually returned home to his parents. Details of the attack to be published tomorrow.
link to silwanic.net
Rewards are offered by Israelis for murdering ex-prisoners
Reports from Israel allege that large financial rewards are being offered for anyone who murders some of the ex-prisoners freed as part of the exchange deal struck between the Israeli government and Hamas. The Israeli media claims that a number of radical Jews who lost family members in attacks by Palestinians resisting Israel’s military occupation have announced the formation of “Eye for an Eye”, an organisation with the objective of hunting down and murdering former Palestinian prisoners.
link to www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk
“Eleven years later, the wound is still bleeding”, Budour Youssef Hassan
Palestinians with Israeli citizenship continue to mourn family and community members who were killed by Israeli police in October 2000, and demand accountability from Palestinian political leaders.
link to electronicintifada.net
Palestinian Child Political Detainees
ISRAEL-OPT: Concerns over Palestinian children in Israeli custody
GAZA CITY 19 October 2011 (IRIN) – While there have been emotional scenes after the release of 477 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, concerns are being raised about the plight of 164 Palestinian children from the West Bank in Israeli custody.
link to www.irinnews.org
Political Detainees
Israeli forces arrested one Palestinian from Beit Omar, north of Hebron in the southern West Bank, during nightly raids concluding on Wednesday morning. The spokesman of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Beit Omar told Palestinian government news wire Wafa that soldiers arrested 44-year-old Ahmed Khader Abu Hashem in Beit Omar, searched his house, and confiscated three computers. He was taken to an unknown location. Soldiers also searched the homes of Imad Ahmed Abu Hashem and Imad Ramzi Sabarneh and “caused a mess” but made no arrests.
Wafa also quoted a “secure source” saying Israeli forces raided the town of Yatta as well, searching the homes of Mahmoud Khalil Rasheed, Mahmoud Younis Haroush and Mahmoud Ibrahim Abu Ali. Israeli troops also erected checkpoints at the entrances of Sa’eer, Halhoul and al-Fawar refugee camp, stopping cars and checking IDs.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10774&Itemid=64Resident Kidnapped In Hebron
Israeli soldiers kidnapped a Palestinian resident from the southern West Bank city of Hebron while heading to the Israeli Liaison Office on Thursday morning, and moved him to an unknown destination, the Palestinian News & Info Agency reported.
link to www.imemc.org
Support Imprisoned PSP Organizer Participating in Mass Hunger Strike
Majde Za’aqiq, a 38-year-old school teacher from Beit Ommar and a long-time member of both the Palestine Solidarity Project and the Center for Freedom and Justice, has been imprisoned by the Israeli Authorities for nearly two months and is currently hunger striking against inhumane prison conditions. The mass hunger strike, now in its third week, has seen the participation of hundreds of Palestinian political prisoners in multiple prisons. The strikers are demanding an improvement in their conditions, including the ending the use of solitary confinement by Israeli Authorities to isolate and break the spirits of the prisoners.
link to palestinesolidarityproject.org
Prisoner Swap
Abbas: Israel Promised to Release More Prisoners (Time.com)
Time.com – In an interview with TIME, the head of the Palestinian Authority recalls an earlier promise by a previous Israeli prime minister — and he wants Netanyahu to keep it.
link to us.rd.yahoo.com
Aruri: Nine women will be freed soon from Israeli jails
Senior Hamas official in charge of prisoners’ file Salah Al-Aruri said the remaining nine female prisoners would be freed from Israeli jails within days.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk
Abu Obaida Provides Details On The 2nd Phase of Swap Deal
Abu Obaida, spokesperson of the Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, stated that the second phase of the prisoner-swap deal will include the release of security detainees who are old, and sick, in addition to several detainees sentenced to 20 years of more.
Hamas leader: Shalit deal turning point in struggle against Israel
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh says deal in which prisoners from all factions released is testimony to Hamas dedication to entire Palestinian people.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/hamas-leader-shalit-deal-turning-point-in-struggle-against-israel-1.390843?localLinksEnabled=false
Shalit deal throws Hamas a lifeline
Swap deal that freed abducted soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners is first significant achievement for Hamas since Gaza government established in 2006.
link to www.haaretz.com
The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said that it will not rest until occupation jails are closed behind the last Palestinian captive.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk
One of the longest serving and highly visible former prisoners in Israeli jails, Samir Kuntar, shares with al-Akhbar his reaction to the latest prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel. The joy shared by the prisoners freed in Tuesday’s exchange may only be describable by those who have experienced captivity like Samir Kuntar. A Lebanese fighter who was passionately dedicated to the Palestinian resistance, Kuntar entered Israeli prisons as a teenager and emerged in 2008 as a man after having spent 29 years in prison. Kuntar refuses to use the word “deal” to describe the recent prisoners exchange between Israel and Hamas, because that word is used when speaking about business, and not about human beings. He says Tuesday’s exchange occurred at the time it did because conditions were ripe on both sides. He calls the operation that captured Shalit a great achievement for the resistance, because it was the first of its kind to take place inside Occupied Palestine. He points out that Gilad Shalit was under indirect control of the Israeli occupation, but the Israelis could not secure his release. Moreover, the resistance was able to hold him for more than five years.
Released prisoners divided over passion and stomach for armed conflict as they see their brethren gambling on diplomacy. Since the day Wafa al-Bess failed to blow herself apart at an Israeli military post she has not relented in her personal struggle against the Jewish state. Sentenced to 12 years in prison for the attempted suicide bombing on the edge of the Gaza Strip, she agitated her jailers – going on hunger strike against a prison uniform, organising protests for the rights of detainees – until she was thrown into solitary confinement for months at a time.
link to www.guardian.co.ukFor Palestinians released in Gilad Shalit prisoner swap, freedom is relative
The roughly 100 former Palestinian prisoners who were released to the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the Gilad Shalit deal are out of prison, but still don’t walk entirely free.
link to rss.csmonitor.com
The Prisoners & Their Families
“My husband was kidnapped by Israel”
Salama Mesleh was sentenced to 99 years in prison by Israel; he is not being released as part of the “swap” deal.
link to electronicintifada.net
Freed prisoner reflects on decades spent in jail
RAMALLAH (Reuters) — Nael Barghouti, released on Tuesday after more than 33 years in an Israeli jail, says he never gave up hope of being freed. “From the first day I was detained, I always expected I would released, that one day, someone would work to free me. Politics failed in setting us free, but another policy realized our liberation,” Barghouti told Reuters Television on Wednesday.
link to www.maannews.net
Released Prisoner Continues on Hunger Strike
GAZA, October 18, 2011 (WAFA) – The health of released prisoner Wafa al-Bis deteriorated Tuesday requiring her transport to hospital in Gaza, according to WAFA correspondent. He said Bis insisted to continue with the hunger strike Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails had started on September 27 demanding end to solitary confinement and improvement in prison conditions. Some of the striking prisoners suspended their hunger strike following the release of 1027 prisoners from Israeli jails on Tuesday, but others apparently continued with it.
link to english.wafa.ps
Freed Prisoner Christian al-Bandak’s Date with the Sea
Two days ago, Christian al-Bandak left his cell, saw the sunlight and the sea and smelled the air, his first breath of freedom after nine years in Israeli military prison. He left a dark, small room smelling of sardines to meet the Mediterranean Sea. Al-Bandak, who hails from Bethlehem and has been imprisoned since 2003 with four life sentences, said it was like thunder when the jailer came in and told the prisoners about the decision to release some of them in two days. “Until now I still can’t believe what happened,” Christian told PNN by phone. “We watched the news in prison and we saw our names on the list, but then we heard that it was not the final list or an unofficial list. We couldn’t handle our joy when we heard about our freedom.”
link to english.pnn.ps
Ahlam al-Tamimi arrives in Amman to a hero’s welcome
Freed Jordanian captive Ahlam al-Tamimi arrived Tuesday night to a hero’s welcome as hundreds of Palestinians and Jordanians waited for her arrival at Queen Alia Airport in Amman.
“It’s really good they’re being released, but I think there will immediately be two or three more Schalits,” says Fatah member., Ecstatic crowds stood for hours in the heat and sun on Tuesday morning in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Isawiya to greet the 16 prisoners released there in the prisoner swap exchange., Crowds began gathering at 8 a.m., after the 16 prisoners were transferred from Ofer prison near Ramallah to Mezudat Adumim, the border police headquarters near Jerusalem, and waited tensely for more than four hours for the prisoners to be released.
link to www.jpost.com
VIDEO: Freed Palestinians enjoy freedom
Hundreds of former Palestinian prisoners have been enjoying their first full day of freedom since being released in exchange for the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
link to www.bbc.co.uk
A mother’s story: Om Fares
The prisoners’ families make sure not to miss any day of the weekly protest so the number of the people inside the Red Cross is more than usual on Mondays. Therefore, one should expect to see lots of tears and hear lots of tragedies, especially after the names of the soon-to-be released prisoners were declared. As I entered the Red Cross this Monday, an old lady was sitting in a corner, hardly noticeable. She was putting her hand on her cheeks, closing her eyes and saying nothing. The wrinkles on her face, with expressions of sorrow and burdens and the broken glasses of the picture she was holding, directed my steps toward her.
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/10/a-mothers-story-om-fares.html
Mother still restricted from visiting son after his release from prison
Israel is deporting more than 140 released Palestinian prisoners to Gaza permanently, despite many being from Jerusalem and elsewhere in the occupied West Bank. Their families, therefore, remain unable to see their loved ones.
link to electronicintifada.net
Celebrations
Prisoners Exchange Celebrations Extend to Palestinian Refugee Camps
Celebrations of the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday were not restricted to Gaza and the West bank. Many in Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps woke up early to watch live coverage of the festivities and put on their own performances, while lamenting their exile and the lot of those remaining behind bars.
link to english.al-akhbar.com
Palestine prisoner returns to hero’s welcome
Samud Karaja, one of the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners released in the Gilad Shalit exchange agreement brokered with Israel, has arrived home to a hero’s welcome. Two years ago, Karaja was 21-years old when an Israeli court sentenced her to 20 years in jail for stabbing an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint. On leaving prison, she was threatened with more jail time if she said anything to the media that would provoke attacks against Israel. Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford reports from the occupied West Bank.
link to www.youtube.com
Palestinians unite to welcome political prisoners home
On Tuesday, tens of thousands of Palestinians gathered in Gaza City’s Al-Katiba Park to celebrate the return of more than 400 Palestinian political prisoners released by Israel in return for captive soldier Gilad Shalit. The prisoners who were sent to Gaza, 334 of them, entered the Strip via Egypt at the Rafah crossing. While their families waited in keen anticipation, with some not having seen their loved ones free for almost three decades, busloads of the prisoners entered Palestine wearing sashes, waving in jubilation. They were met by senior members of the Hamas-led government, including Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and Deputy Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Dr. Ahmed Bahr.
link to www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk
Festival of Victory and Triumph: Families in Gaza welcome return of prisoners
Thousands of Palestinians gathered in Gaza City’s Qatiba Square yesterday morning, swelling to over 200,000 as news arrived that the prisoners had safely crossed the border from Egypt into Rafah. ISM volunteers waited for hours with local families eager to catch a glimpse of the former prisoners as they exited their buses. “This is the best day of my life because today, good defeated evil,” said 45-year-old Saleem Abu Sa’ada. “For us, we want all the prisoners to be free,” he added. Qatiba Sqaure, a large sandy plaza, took on a festive atmosphere as women, men and children waved Palestinian flags, as well as flags of the various political parties. On the street, vendors sold juice, tea, coffee, bread as well as Palestinian flags.
link to palsolidarity.org
In Pictures: Hebron Greets Return of Palestinian Prisoners
In the southern West Bank city of Hebron, a crowd of thousands gathered to greet the 30 Hebron-area prisoners released in today’s historic prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas.
link to english.pnn.ps
Tuesday marked the first phase of the prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel. Of a total of 1,027 Palestinians to be released, 477 were freed today, in exchange for the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been in captivity since 2006. Around 300 of the 477 freed from Israeli jails headed to Gaza and were greeted by their loved ones. Close to 130 others were freed in Ramallah, the West Bank. The second phase of the trade will be carried out in the coming two months, when the remaining 550 detained Palestinians will be freed.
link to english.al-akhbar.comDiscrimination / Racism
Palestinian citizens of Israel are second class citizens, even in the Prague airport, Ruth Bronstein
I’ll never forget my trip to Prague about a week ago, unfortunately not because Prague is so beautiful, it actually is an amazing place to travel to and tour around for a week, but because of the traumatic expereince at the airport. A brief acquintance on the way with two normal and educated young Israeli “Technion” (a highly acclaimed technical institute) graduates gave us the perfect option to share a cab, as well as pleasant companionship. Everything was wonderful – yes, it is possible for Israelis of Jewish and Arab origins, Muslim or Christian to get along and feel great together, despite those dark forces of evil, that made us realize the huge gap between us. These young people were abused – their non-Jewish name caused them awful damage and awful treatment at the airport.
link to mondoweiss.net
Rachel Abrams says Palestinian children are ‘devils’ spawn’– while Israeli children play with Transformers and draw your heart strings
Eli Clifton reports on Rachel Abrams,wife of Elliott Abrams: “Emergency Committee For Israel Board Member Calls Palestinians ‘Savages,’ ‘Unmanned Animals,’ ‘Food For Sharks’” Based on Rachel Abrams’s yawp. Be attuned to all the racism here amid the Joycean punctuation…
link to mondoweiss.net
Boycott!
Israel in talks to buy gas from Qatar – report
Egypt’s “Youm7” reports that Qatar will sell liquid natural gas to Israel to be stored in an offshore floating terminal. The Qatari government is holding negotiations to sell liquid natural gas (LNG) to Israel, the Egyptian newspaper “Youm7” reported today. “Youm7” added that according to sources Israel is making preparations to receive Qatari LNG carriers, including the construction of large capacity tanks. The paper observed that Qatar recently expanded its production of LNG, and it intends to increase its natural gas development projects. Total annual liquid gas production in Qatar, “Youm7” said, recently reached 10 million tons, and it is expected to increase to 12 million tons by 2015.
link to www.globes.co.il
Political Developments / Diplomacy