Palestina/Izrael:
Two State Solution Anyone?
PressTV - Viva Palestina members tour Gaza.flv
The 'Top Ten', selected for us by the ADL
Freedom Flotilla song - Doc Jazz
Safed rabbis urge Jews to refrain from renting apartments to Arabs
The rabbis' letter, which was originally published months ago, urges Jewish owners of apartments to reconsider renting their properties to Arabs since it would deflate the value of their homes as well as those in the neighborhood. "Their way of life is different than that of Jews," the letter stated. "Among [the gentiles] are those who are bitter and hateful toward us and who meddle into our lives to the point where they are a danger." The rabbis also urge neighbors of anyone renting or selling property to Arabs to caution that person. After delivering the warning, the neighbor is then encouraged to issue notices to the general public and inform the community. "The neighbors and acquaintances [of a Jew who sells or rents to an Arab] must distance themselves from the Jew, refrain from doing business with him, deny him the right to read from the Torah, and similarly [ostracize] him until he goes back on this harmful deed," the letter reads.
Lawyers establish Flotilla Justice Group for Flotilla Victims
Odvjetnici iz različitih zemalja oformili radnu skupinu radi koordiniranja pravnih akcija u korist žrtava izraelskog napada na flotilu (26. listopad 2010.)
Odvjetnici koji predstavljaju žrtve izraelskog napada na brodove humanitarne flotile za Gazu sastali su se 23. i 24. listopada u Kataru kako bi dogovorili koordinaciju pravnih akcija koje će poduzeti s ciljem da Izrael odgovara za svoj napad na humanitarne brodove 31. svibnja 2010. Na sastanku se okupilo 70 predstavnika iz 20 zemalja: Bahreina, Belgije, Bosne i Hercegovine, Kanade, Egipta, Francuske, Grčke, Indonezije, Italije, Jordana, Kuvajta, Makedonije, Nizozemske, Pakistana, Palestine, Španjolske, Južne Afrike, Švedske, Švicarske, Turske, Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva i Jemena. Međunarodni pravni i medijski stručnjaci, odvjetnici, te aktivisti sudjelovali su u nekoliko radionica s ciljem osmišljavanja sveobuhvatne strategije nacionalnih, regionalnih i međunarodnih pravnih akcija, međuorganizacijske koordinacije i mobilizacije medija. Ova skupina odvjetnika nastojat će poboljšati komunikaciju i razmjenu informacija između različitih odvjetnika koji zastupaju žrtve iz cijelog svijeta. Među organizacijama i tvrtkama čiji su se predstavnici uključili u ovu inicijativu su turska humanitarna nevladina organizacija IHH, Pokret za slobodnu Gazu (Free Gaza), Europska kampanja za okončanje opsade Gaze (ECESG), Vijeće za arapsko-britansko razumijevanje (CAABU), turska odvjetnička tvrtka Elmadag, tursko udruženje za ljudska prava Mazlumdar, britanska odvjetnička tvrtka Hickman i Rose, južnoafričko Udruženje muslimanskih odvjetnika i drugi.
MKs seek ban on East Jerusalem Arabs guiding in the city
A bill sponsored by MK Gideon Ezra (Kadima ) and seven other Knesset members proposes to ban residents of East Jerusalem from serving as tour guides in the city, potentially putting hundreds out of work. Ezra, who said he was temporarily freezing work on the bill so as not to damage the negotiations with Palestinians, said in the introduction to the bill he believed Palestinian residents of Jerusalem should not be certified guides because they did not represent Israel's national interest well enough "and in an appropriate manner."
Settlers torch, vandalize Nablus school
Kolonisti vandalizirali školu u Nablusu (20. listopad 2010.)
Skupina izraelskih kolonista je u srijedu provalila u jednu školu za djevojčice u Nablusu na Zapadnoj obali i zapalila skladište u kojem se nalazio namještaj i nekorištena sportska oprema. Ravnateljica škole, Maysoon Sawalha, je izjavila da je samo to što se između skladišta i ostatka škole nalazi glavna vodovodna cijev spasilo ostatak škole od požara. Kolonisti su na zidovima škole ispisali rasističke poruke. Ovo nije prvi takav napad, već je škola bila metom brojnih napada, posljednji puta prošle godine, kad su kolonisti ušli u jednu od učionica, pucali bojevim streljivom i bacali suzavac. Glasnogovornica izraelske vojske je izjavila da su izraelske vlasti primile prijavu ovog slučaja te da su u kontaktu s dužnosnicima Palestinske samouprave kako bi se na tom području održao mir. Dodala je da izraelska policija istražuje incident. Ravnateljica škole je međunarodne organizacije pozvala da djeluju kako bi se spriječili ovakvi napadi koji ugrožavaju dječje živote i kod njih uzrokuju psihološku traumu. Kolonisti su pak pokušali krivnju svaliti na međunarodne i izraelske mirovne aktiviste koji na tom području pomažu Palestincima u berbi maslina, a koji bi, kako smatraju kolonisti, tobože željeli raspiriti napetosti između "Arapa i Židova" jer se ne događa ništa uzbudljivo. Jedna je izraelska organizacija za ljudska prava u utorak objavila da 90% prijava napada kolonista na Palestince ili njihovu imovinu na Zapadnoj obali ne rezultira nikakvom sudskom presudom. Palestinski poljoprivrednici također javljaju da kolonisti pale poljoprivredna zemljišta od početka tradicionalne berbe maslina u listopadu. Koloniste se također sumnjiči da su početkom listopada zapalili jednu džamiju u Betlehemu.
3500 Olive Trees Victims of Settler Crimes in Past Week
Kolonisti uništili 3500 maslinovih stabala tijekom proteklog tjedna (20. listopad 2010.)
Odjel za međunarodne odnose PLO-a je upozorio da su izraelski kolonisti na Zapadnoj obali u proteklih nekoliko dana spalili i uništili više od 3500 maslinovih stabala na području Zapadne obale. Kolonisti su nedavno napali sela Urta, Tel i Burin na sjeveru Zapadne obale, te okolna područja gradova Nablus, Salfit, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin i Qalqiliya. Na tim su područjima kolonisti palili drveće i krali usjeve, te onemogućavali poljoprivrednicima da dođu do svoje zemlje. Pri tome im je pomagala izraelska vojska, koja im uobičajeno pomaže da ulaze na palestinska polja i progone poljoprivrednike koji pokušavaju obraniti svoju zemlju. U Palestini raste više od 10 000 000 maslinovih stabala na površini od oko 938 000 dunuma, a godišnje se može proizvesti oko 24 milijuna tona maslinovog ulja. Izraelski ilegalni Zid odvaja oko 40 000 dunuma s maslinama od njihovih palestinskih vlasnika, kojima je onemogućen pristup do njihove zemlje. Tijekom protekle godine kolonisti su uništili oko 13 milijuna stabala, većinom maslina.
Israeli Settler Sewage Floods Beit Ommar Land
Otpadne vode iz izraelskog kolonističkog naselja preplavile palestinsko zemljište u Beit Ommaru (17. listopad 2010.)
Tisuće litara nepročišćenih kanalizacijskih voda iz ilegalnog kolonističkog naselja Gush Etzion preplavile su više od 50 dunuma palestinskog poljoprivrednog zemljišta u selu Beit Ommar. Ovo je četvrti puta ove godine da to ilegalno naselje ispušta svoje otpadne vode na zemlju obitelji Sabarna iz sela Beit Ommar. Isto se ove godine dogodilo u ožujku, travnju i lipnju, a svaki puta su pri izlijevanju kanalizacije uništeni usjevi i nanesen gubitak u tisućama šekela pogođenoj obitelji. Ova otpadna voda također predstavlja veliku opasnost za zdravlje mještana sela Beit Ommar.
Boy Scout exposed at UN
"It's hard to find a country friendlier to Israel than Canada these days," says Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Stephen Harper's Conservatives called Israel's 2006 invasion of Lebanon a "measured response" (Two Canadian UN peacekeepers were targeted and killed by Israeli in the invasion. Harper refused to protest, asking rhetorically in parliament what they were doing there in the first place); refused to condemn the invasion of Gaza in December 2008 or the siege of Gaza (the only "Nay" at the UN Human Rights Council); refused to condemn the Israeli murder of nine members of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in May; opposed an attempted IAEA probe of Israel's nuclear facilities as part of an effort to create a nuclear-weapons-free Middle East; cut off UN humanitarian aid to Gaza because it was going through the Hamas government there. That $15 million for UNRWA was not actually cancelled by Harper; it was cleverly transferred to Operation PROTEUS, a plan to train a Palestinian security force to oversee Israel's occupation of the West Bank and "to ensure that the Palestinian Authority maintains control of the West Bank against Hamas," according to Canadian Ambassador to Israel Jon Allen. Boasts Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Americas Peter Kent, this is the country's "second largest deployment after Afghanistan". While Canada trains police to contain Palestinian anger, it is rapidly expanding relations with the Palestinians' colonial masters. Minister of International Trade Peter Van Loan just held talks in Tel Aviv to further expand the Canada- Israel Free Trade Agreement. Already robust, Canadian-Israeli trade has more than doubled since its implementation in 1997. Canada even allows goods manufactured in occupied territories by illegal settlers to be labelled "Made in Israel". Canada and Israel signed a far-reaching public security cooperation "partnership" in 2008 to "protect their respective countries' population, assets and interests from common threats". Israel security agents now officially assist the RCMP and CSIS in profiling Canadian citizens who are Muslims and monitoring individuals and/or organisations in Canada involved in supporting the rights of Palestinians. The barring of British MP George Galloway from entering Canada in 2009 was surely at the behest of now official Mossad advisers.
Caterpillar Delays Bulldozer Shipments to Israel During Rachel Corrie Trial
Caterpillar odgodio isporuku buldožera u Izrael tijekom suđenja za ubojstvo američke aktivistice Rachel Corrie (26. listopad 2010.)
Caterpillar je odgodio isporuku buldožera u Izrael tijekom suđenja za ubojstvo američke aktivistice Rachel Corrie, koju je izraelski vojnik usmrtio pregazivši je Caterpillarovim buldožerom D9 u Gazi 2003. Iako su neke institucije, poput Hampshire Collegea i Engleske crkve, povukle svoja ulaganja u Caterpillar, do sada se ta tvrtka nije obazirala na pritisak aktivista da obustavi prodaju svojih strojeva izraelskoj vojsci koja njima krši međunarodno pravo i ljudska prava Palestinaca. Obitelj Rachel Corrie tužila je Caterpillar na američkom sudu, no savezni prizivni sud je presudio da tvrtka ne može biti odgovorna za uporabu buldožera u izraelskim vojnim operacijama jer se ta oprema plaća iz fondova američke vlade i njihova prodaja predstavlja dio američke vanjske politike.
Five countries boycott tourism conference in Jerusalem
Following attempts by Israel to use the conference to further its territorial claims on Jerusalem and concerns raised by Palestinian civil society and its international supporters that the conference serves to whitewash Israeli violations of international law, the UK, Sweden, Ireland, Turkey and South Africa announced that they would be not be taking part. Although the UK denied that its refusal to attend was politically motivated , Sweden and Turkey openly stated that their withdrawals are political in nature. In a further blow to the credibility of the ‘high level’ conference at which ‘senior government officials’ were expected to discuss tourism policy, a number of countries will not send tourism ministers and instead low-ranking officials will represent member country governments. The Greek delegation to the OECD told campaigners during telephone calls that no officials from Athens will make the trip and instead a staff member from the Greek tourist information centre in Tel-Aviv will represent Greece. During other telephone calls to OECD offices, campaigners learnt that Denmark will only send a statistician and that Belgium and Norway are still considering what level of representation will attend. France will be represented at a “technical level” only. ... The withdrawals come following comments made by Israeli tourism minister Stas Misezhnikov that the situating of the meeting in Jerusalem – the first OECD meeting hosted by Israel since it became a member in May and only the second time an OECD tourism conference has been held outside of Paris - was in effect recognition by OECD members of Jerusalem as Israel's undivided capital. In a strongly worded letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, OECD General Secretary Angel Gurria called the comments “factually incorrect and quite unacceptable”.
Palestinian Civil Society Urges COOP to Boycott Agrexco
We, the undersigned Palestinian civil society representatives, including farmers unions, agricultural organizations and popular committees are writing to express deep concern at reports that COOP Italia is considering entering a direct commercial agreement (albeit including a traceability guarantee) with Carmel Agrexco, the partially state owned Israeli exporter that is responsible for marketing 60-70% of the agricultural produce grown in Israel's illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. We wish to emphasize that the proposed agreement does not mitigate, on the contrary it reinforces, COOP's complicity in Israel's system of occupation, colonisation and apartheid. In the following, we present some facts about the nature of Carmel Agrexco's operations and the political situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, hoping that you shall accordingly consider ending all your relations with Carmel Agrexco.
Ostalo:
WikiLeaks' Latest Document Dump Is Largest Intel Leak in US History -- Daniel Ellsberg: I've Waited 40 Years for This
The whistleblowing group WikiLeaks has released up to 400,000 US intelligence reports on the Iraq War. The disclosure is the biggest leak in US history, far more than the 91,000 Afghanistan war logs WikiLeaks released this summer. Democracy Now! spoke to the nation’s most famous whistleblower, Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the secret history of the Vietnam War in 1971, just before he headed to London to participate in the WikiLeak press conference.
