Uglavnom linkovi – Palestina/Izrael...

potpora palestinskom narodu - ispred zagrebačke džamije

PALESTINA/IZRAEL:
Shocking Decline in Ethiopian Israeli Birthrate
In her attempt to find out what the story was behind the shocking statistic, Gabai interviewed Ethiopian women immigrants and learned from them that they were given Depo-Provera (a contraceptive injection containing the hormone progestin administered once every three months) against their will. While some did not understand what the shots were for, others felt pressured into taking them in response to alleged threats that they would otherwise not be allowed to immigrate to Israel. The shots began in the refugee camps in Gondar, continued in the transition camps in Addis Ababa, and continued on after their arrivals in Israel. According to the women’s testimony, this continuity appears to have been a coordinated effort between the medical staff at the clinics in Ethiopia run by the JDC and doctors in Israeli hospitals and clinics.
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Israel 2012: More children resort to begging, or quit school to enter workforce
Izrael 2012: Više djece prosjači ili napušta školovanje radi zapošljavanja (17. prosinac 2012)
Prema izvještaju koalicije izraelskih organizacija za humanitarnu pomoć Latet za 2012. godinu 10% djece iz siromašnih obitelji koje primaju humanitarnu pomoć u Izraelu prosjači, dok je 2011. godine taj postotak iznosio 3%. 50% djece iz siromašnih obitelji mora raditi kako bi pomogla u domaćinstvu, a 18% djece je u opasnosti da napusti školovanje i krene u potragu za radnim mjestom. Među obiteljima koje se ne mogu prehraniti, 27% roditelja tvrdi da su oni i njihova djeca ponekad po cijeli dan bez hrane, dok je taj postotak 2011. godine iznosio 21%. Gotovo svi ispitanici, 95%, tvrde kako su se morali odreći nekih osnovnih stvari zbog svoje financijske situacije, a 63% ih tvrdi da ne mogu kupititi potrebne lijekove. Među ispitanicima iz ostatka javnosti 69% smatra da je siromaštvo najvažniji problem s kojim se suočava država, važniji čak i od sigurnosti, dok ih 56% vjeruje kako će politika za suzbijanje siromaštva imati važan utjecaj pri odabiru stranke za koju će glasati na predstojećim izborima. 42% ovih ispitanika smatra da je vlada najodgovornija za trenutno stanje siromaštva.
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Palestinian laborers in Israel: between a rock and a hard place
Every year around 40,000 Palestinians cross over to Israel to work; about half of this number does so illegally. Because wages in Israel are double, even three times more than wages in the West Bank or Gaza, Palestinians go through the hassle of acquiring work permits and or they take the risk of crossing over to Israel illegally. While wages in Israel might be attractive, working in Israel is no bed of roses for Palestinians. Starting from the bureaucratic and “security” procedures they have to pass through to get the permit, to actually crossing through checkpoints and getting to work on time, to receiving the proper social benefits at the end of their work contract, Palestinians face challenges. For those who work in Israel illegally, the challenges are even greater. Their “illegal” status makes them vulnerable to exploitation by their employees. Often times, Israeli employers deny illegal Palestinian workers the minimum wage and under write their working days which later affects the employment benefits and insurance they are entitled to.
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Palestinian Rockets Unlawfully Targeted Israeli Civilians (video)

Belonging to Palestine - A study of the means and measures of Palestinian women's belonging to their state and nation
Palestinian women are caught in an intersection of oppressions. As Palestinians they live in a state of occupation, constantly restricted in their mobility, opportunities and thoughts. As women they are subject to limited rights and opportunities inside Palestine, where society's view on gender roles are often very conservative. They are second-class citizens as Palestinians occupied by Israel and as women in a patriarchal society. Therefore I find it interesting to explore the ways in which Palestinian women assert and sustain their political belonging to Palestine. The motivation behind this interest is the strong national community and the perseverance of the Palestinian women as I experienced it during my stay. I wondered why the loud voices of all the political aware women I met were not being heard in the setting of the formal political system, and what these women did to make up for this exclusion.
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Israeli wants to renounce citizenship and become Palestinian
Andre Pshenichnikov, a 23-year-old Jewish immigrant from Tajikistan, was recently detained by Israeli police for residing illegally in the Deheishe Refugee Camp near Bethlehem. There he told police that he wants to break all ties with Israel, give up his Israeli citizenship and obtain a Palestinian one instead.
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Jews for Palestinian right of return
As Jews of conscience, we call on all supporters of social justice to stand up for Palestinian Right of Return and a democratic state throughout historic Palestine — “From the River to the Sea” — with equal rights for all. The full measure of justice, upon which the hopes of all humanity depends, requires no less.
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ŽIVOTINJE:
Koju promjenu trebamo učiniti? (video) (English/hrvatski)

30 najgorih slučajeva iz 2012. godine: Evo zašto zlostavljači životinja moraju u zatvor!
Novi Kazneni zakon, koji je stupio na snagu 2013. godine, propisuje zatvorske kazne do dvije godine za mučenje i usmrćivanje životinja te oduzimanje životinje zlostavljaču. Iako je riječ o značajnom pomaku u mogućnosti sankcioniranja zlostavljača, Hrvatska još uvijek zaostaje za zapadnim zemljama gdje se za iste prijestupe izriču kazne i do deset godina zatvora. Stručnjaci su zlostavljanje i ubijanje životinja prepoznali kao važan društveni problem, a zlostavljače i ubojice životinja kao ljude koji su opasni ne samo za životinje, već i za ljude i širu okolinu te je nužno zatvorskim kaznama utjecati na svijest da iživljavanje prema slabijima neće proći nekažnjeno. Nažalost, još uvijek ima slučajeva kada prolaznici danima ne reagiraju na ozlijeđenu životinju, no građani ipak sve više prijavljuju zlostavljanje životinja. Tijekom godine udruga Prijatelji životinja dobiva velik broj prijava građana koji svjedoče zanemarivanju i mučenju životinja, a slične prijave dobivaju i druge udruge za zaštitu životinja. Na web stranici Prijatelja životinja www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr mogu se naći upute o načinima prijave zanemarivanja, mučenja i ubijanja životinja policiji, inspekcijama i općinskom državnom odvjetništvu. Udruga poziva građane da ne okreću glave pred prizorima patnje životinja i da prijavljuju sve slučajeve zanemarivanja i nasilnog postupanja prema životinjama.
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BAHREIN:
Bahrain protesters challenge police in capital
Security forces in Bahrain fired tear gas and arrested protesters Monday during marches in the traditional market area of the Gulf nation's capital, forcing many businesses to close. ... The Interior Ministry said it made a "number" of arrests. Among them was rights activist Yousef al-Muhafedha, the acting head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, said his wife Zainab al-Sairafi. Al-Muhafedha's arrest could stir more backlash, less than a week after a Bahrain court rejected an appeal to overturn the jail sentence of the rights center's director, Nabeel Rajab. The court cut one year from his three-year sentence on charges of encouraging "illegal gatherings" linked to the 22-month uprising against the kingdom's ruling system. On Monday, authorities set up checkpoints and expanded patrols across Manama before rallies Monday to mark an annual commemoration for two protesters killed in 1994. Separate groups of hundreds of protesters chanted slogans in the narrow streets of the city's market district. Some of the crowds were dispersed with tear gas and volleys of stun grenades. ... More than 55 people have been killed in unrest since February 2011...
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HRVATSKA:
Anonymous message to croatian people (video)
Teško nam je vjerovati, da ne možete osjetiti zlostavljanje od strane svojih političara u posljednjih 20 godina. Čekate da se pojavi netko tko će stati iza vas i riješiti sve vaše probleme. Nažalost to se neće dogoditi. Okrećete leđa svakom novom porezu, povećanju cijena i načinu na koji se politička elita i bankari odnose prema vama. Ne treba vam pomoć od bilo koga, imate sve resurse i sve ostalo što trebate, ključ je da se organizirate. Vaša zemlja je posebno zanimljiva jer sadrži mnoge resurse kao što su voda, šume, čista priroda, more i otoci. Zato vas se nastoji osiromašiti i oduzeti vam sve što imate. Kriza je samo paravan. Novca ima i krije se u bankama. Politika koja se vodi zadnjih dvadeset godina je politika osiromašenja. Vaša djeca će biti jeftina radna snaga u europskoj uniji kojoj tako hrlite a i sama je pred propasti. Što prije postanete svjesni da pasivnost neće riješiti ovaj problem uspijet ćete vratiti život kakav ste oduvijek željeli.
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Uglavnom linkovi - Palestina/Izrael, Egipat, Sirija, Bahrein

PALESTINA/IZRAEL:

Israeli Defense Chief Says Egypt Attack a 'Wake-Up Call' 
Napadi na egipatske vojnike i izraelski granični prijelaz (6. kolovoz 2012.) 
U noći u nedjelju (5. kolovoz) u Egiptu je izveden teroristički napad u kojem je ubijeno 15 egipatskih vojnika. Maskirani naoružani napadači napali su kontrolnu točku egipatske vojske u sumrak u nedjelju. Prema tvrdnjama glasnogovornice izraelske vojske napadači su zatim na kontrolnoj točki uzeli jedno vojno oklopno vozilo i jedan kamion i krenuli prema ogradi na izraelskom graničnom prijelazu Kerem Shalom, navodno s ciljem otmice izraelskih vojnika ili civila. Prema riječima glasnogovornice izraelske vojske, kamion je bio napunjen eksplozivom i eksplodirao je, pri čemu je poginuo vozač, a izraelska je vojska zatim u zračnim napadima ubila još 6 ili 7 napadača koji su u oklopnom vozilu pokušavali pobjeći s mjesta napada. Ovo je bio najsmrtonosniji napad na egipatske vojnike u posljednje vrijeme, a još uvijek za njega nitko nije preuzeo odgovornost. Također je ranjeno 7 vojnika, uključujući 3 koji su u kritičnom stanju. Egipatski sigurnosni izvori za napad su okrivili islamiste koji djeluju na području Sinaja, te militante koji su u Egipat ušli iz obližnjeg Pojasa Gaze. Egipatski su mediji izvijestili da je jedan od naoružanih napadača ubijen, a drugi uhićen. Nakon napada zatvoren je granični prijelaz Rafah između Gaze i Egipta, a sukobi su se u blizini granice nastavili do kasno u noć u nedjelju. Ovaj je napad dio eskalacije nasilja na području Sinaja gdje naoružane skupine često napadaju sigurnosne snage. Za vrijeme egipatskog ustanka 2011, sigurnosne snage su na tom području pobjegle sa svojih položaja, a militanti, uključujući strane borce, uspostavili su na tom prostoru svoju nazočnost. Novi egipatski predsjednik Morsi izrazio je sućut obiteljima žrtava i najavio da će sigurnosne snage uspostaviti „punu kontrolu“ nad područjem Sinaja koje je „sigurno“. Glasnogovornica izraelske vojske podsjetila je da je prije godinu dana u napadu na jedan izraelski autobus na Cesti 12 ubijeno 7 civila i 1 vojnik, te da su 2008. napadači u 2 terenska vozila na granici pokušali oteti jednog vojnika. Hamasovi su dužnosnici u Pojasu Gaze osudili napad, nazvavši ga „terorizmom“ i zatvorili tunele između Egipta i Gaze kojima se zbog izraelske blokade u Pojas Gaze doprema roba. Iz Hamasovog ministarstva unutarnjih poslova su naglasili da se skupine palestinskog pokreta otpora bore jedino protiv izraelske okupacije, te da svoje operacije pokreću samo s palestinskog teritorija. Izraelski sigurnosni izvori vjeruju da je spriječen veliki teroristički napad na izraelske ciljeve, a vojska je na temelju obavijesnih izvještaja prije nekoliko dana izdala upozorenja Izraelcima da izbjegavaju boravak na Sinajskom poluotoku. Tijekom noći u nedjelju 10 000 Izraelaca koji žive u selima u blizini Pojasa Gaze naređeno je da ostanu u svojim domovima, a Cesta 232 je zatvorena. U ponedjeljak ujutro cesta je ponovo otvorena, a policijski sat ukinut. Glasnogovornica izraelske vojske tvrdi da su Egipćani i Izraelci surađivali kako bi spriječili nedjeljni napad. 
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Egypt launches deadly air strikes in Sinai 
U egipatskom bombardiranju Sinaja ubijeno više od 20 ljudi (08. kolovoz 2012.) 
Egipat je u srijedu (8. kolovoza) u jutro pokrenuo zračne udare na području Sinaja u blizini granice s Pojasom Gaze u kojima je ubijeno više od 20 osoba. Ovi su napadi odgovor na smrtonosni napad na jednu policijsku postaju koji je izveden u nedjelju. U napadu tijekom vikenda za sada još uvijek neidentificirani naoružani napadači ubili su 16 egipatskih pograničnih vojnika. Egipatski vojni zračni udari izvedeni su u srijedu na položaje u gradu Sheikh Zouaidu. Egipatski vojni izvori tvrde da je vojska ušla u selo al-Toumah, „ubila 20 terorista i uništila 3 oklopljena automobila u njihovom vlasništvu“, a operacije su još uvijek u tijeku. Egipatski udari uslijedili su nakon sukoba između naoružanih osoba i sigurnosnih snaga na nekoliko sigurnosnih kontrolnih točaka tijekom noći na području Sinajskog poluotoka. Naoružani napadači otvorili su vatru na kontrolne točke u gradu Al-Arish i obližnjem gradu Rafahu, na granici s Pojasom Gaze. U tim je napadima u utorak tijekom noći ranjeno 6 osoba, uključujući 2 policajca, 3 vojnika i 1 civila koji je u kritičnom stanju. Na Sinaju je napadnuta i cementara u vlasništvu vojske. Uhićena su 2 naoružanih napadača koje se sumnjiči da su sudjelovali u ovom napadu. Oružani sukobi trajali su do kasno u noć u utorak, a sigurnosne snage su zatvorile cestu na kojoj se dogodio napad. Helikopteri egipatskog ratnog zrakoplovstva, te vojni tenkovi i transporteri uputili su se na područje Sinajskog poluotoka koje se smatra uporištem naoružanih plemena i napadača. Egipatski sigurnosni dužnosnici navode kako je ovo bilo po prvi puta da je vojska ispalila projektile na Sinaju od 1973. kad je Egipat ratovao s Izraelom kako bi povratio okupirani Sinajski poluotok. Na pustinjskom i nepristupačnom području koje graniči s Izraelom od rušenja bivšeg egipatskog predsjednika Mubaraka zavladalo je bezakonje. Jedna od kontrolnih točaka koje su napadnute u srijedu od početka egipatskog ustanka napadnuta je 28 puta. Nekoliko sati od izbijanja sukoba, stotine prosvjednika okupile su se u gradu Arish i zahtijevale od države da ih zaštiti. Sigurnosne su snage zatvorile glavnu autocestu u Arishu ubrzo nakon pokretanja napada. U utorak su se brojni ljutiti i ožalošćeni Egipćani okupili na vojnom sprovodu 16-orice ubijenih pograničnih vojnika u Kairu. Egipat je također nakon nedjeljnih napada počeo zatvarati tunele kojima se u i iz Pojasa Gaze „krijumčare“ ljudi, te hrana i gorivo. Niti jedna skupina još uvijek nije preuzela odgovornost za prvotni napad na Sinaju. Egipatski i izraelski izvori tvrde da se na sjeveru Sinaja nalaze aktivni islamistički borci s područja Sinaja i njihovi palestinski saveznici iz Pojasa Gaze, te da napadaju egipatske sigurnosne snage i pripremaju napade preko granice u Izraelu. 
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Egyptians Mull Changes In Israel Peace Treaty 
Egyptian official sources told Al-Hayat that Egyptian authorities will launch negotiations with Israel in the upcoming days in order to reach an understanding regarding increasing Egyptian forces along the border. “The time has come to change the peace agreement to allow the deployment of Egyptian armed forces in the Sinai,” said the Egyptian authorities. Under the current agreement, the Sinai is divided into three zones. The first is Zone A, where up to 22,000 Egyptian soldiers are deployed under the supervision of three officers — of Egyptian, Israeli and US nationalities — to ensure that the number of Egyptian soldiers and weapons corresponds to the amount agreed upon. Zone B includes only police officers, while Zone C, which is adjacent to the Egyptian-Israeli border, is comprised of only border guards. These troops are armed with light weapons: automatic rifles for soldiers, and pistols for officers. Along with the border guards, multinational forces, especially from the US, are present in Zone C. As per the agreement's terms, Egyptian military aircraft are banned from flying over Zone A, which is located only a few meters from the Israeli border. Moreover, in accordance with the agreement, Egypt is banned from establishing a military airport or seaport in the Sinai or along its coasts. 
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BDS at 7! – Celebrating, reflecting and further mainstreaming 
The Israeli establishment is growing increasingly concerned with the growth of the BDS movement. Israeli President Shimon Peres recently cited fear of the impacts of BDS as a reason to “make peace”. Meanwhile, top Israeli business leaders have launched their own “peace initative” out of fear of the impact of BDS. Some Zionist leaders are also starting to call for change in Israeli policies out of fear of BDS. The leading Israeli think tank the Reut Institute has spoken of BDS as a “strategic threat”, prompting the Israeli government to pass a draconian law forbidding any citizen from supporting BDS or any partial boycott. There is a real and growing fear within Israel that it is becoming a pariah state in the way that South Africa once was. 
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Palestinian civil society welcomes Presbyterian Church (USA) Israel boycott resolution 
Caterpillar, one of the divestment-shortlisted companies, was only days ago delisted from the influential MSCI (Morgan Stanley Capital International) World Socially Responsible Index, with its role in supplying Israel with bulldozers used to wantonly destroy Palestinian property cited as a reason. This triggered the US pension fund TIAA-CREF, also target of a high profile divestment campaign in the US led by Jewish Voice for Peace in partnership with the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, the American Friends Service Committee, Adalah-NY, among others, to remove Caterpillar from its Social Choice Funds portfolio, in effect divesting millions of dollars worth of shares from the company. In May, Quaker Friends Fiduciary Corporation (FFC), which holds over $200 million in assets, had too taken the decision to divest from Caterpillar. 
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SIRIJA: 
On Defections and Developments in Syria: PBS NewsHour Interview with Bassam Haddad and David Lesch (video) 
The following interview was conducted by Margert Warner on PBS's NewsHour. It aired live on Monday 6 August 2012, and featured Jadaliyya Co-Editor Bassam Haddad and Professor David Lesch. The interview primarily discussed the wave of recent defections and their significance (or lack thereof) in the ongoing struggle between the Syrian regime and various opposition forces. 
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BAHREIN: 
The Last Tweets Before Prison: Interview with Nabeel Rajab (video) 
“I will not stop and I'm teaching people not to stop. If everybody will keep quiet after putting them in jail, then it's a disaster. We should challenge that. We should be willing to pay the price for the struggle for the freedom that we fight for. And this is the price.” The high price that human rights defenders in Bahrain pay is due to the interests that Western governments (especially the United States) have in the region, Nabeel said. For this reason, Western media is largely silent when it comes to Bahrain. 
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EGIPAT: 
The Rise of Egypt's Workers 
Facilitated by the government's closure of all workplaces in early February, many workers participated in the popular uprising as individuals. On February 6 they returned to their jobs; just two days later, EFITU called for a general strike demanding that Hosni Mubarak relinquish power. Tens of thousands of workers—including those employed at large and strategic workplaces like the Cairo Public Transport Authority, Egyptian State Railways, the subsidiary companies of the Suez Canal Authority, the state electrical company, and Ghazl al-Mahalla—answered the call, engaging in some 60 strikes and protests in the final days before Mubarak's fall on February 11. As Khalid 'Ali explained, “The workers did not start the January 25 movement because they have no organizing structure. ... [But] one of the important steps of this revolution was taken when they began to protest, giving the revolution an economic and social slant besides the political demands.” According to the Sons of the Land Center for Human Rights, the economic paralysis created by this strike wave, “was one of the most important factors leading to the rapidity of ... Mubarak's decision to leave.” The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) pushed Mubarak aside in what was as much a soft military coup as a revolution. This satisfied the majority of demonstrators, at least during the first half of 2011. But workers continued to protest. At least 150,000 participated in 489 strikes and other actions during February 2011. EFITU leaders and labor activists used this momentum to advocate substantive democracy not merely changing the face of the regime. Forty of them met on February 19 and adopted a proclamation of “Demands of the Workers in the Revolution,” including the right to form independent trade unions, the right to strike, and the dissolution of ETUF, “one of the most important symbols of corruption under the defunct regime.” Reflecting a widespread sentiment among workers and the poor, they asserted: „If this revolution does not lead to the fair distribution of wealth it is not worth anything. Freedoms are not complete without social freedoms. The right to vote is naturally dependent on the right to a loaf of bread.“ 
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Vijesti, linkovi - uglavnom Palestina/Izrael

PALESTINA/IZRAEL: 
Israel to Demolish Eight Palestinian Villages 
Izrael namjerava srušiti 8 palestinskih sela (23. srpanj 2012.) 
Izraelski ministar obrane Ehud Barak 22. je srpnja 2012. naredio rušenje 8 palestinskih sela na području južnog hebronskog gorja za Zapadnoj obali, zbog čega će biti raseljeno 1500 mještana. Ova je naredba uslijedila nakon što je izraelski Visoki sud pravde presudio da podržava takav potez, složivši se s nalazom Izraelske civilne uprave iz 2000. godine kako „nema stalnih stanovnika na tom području“, već da oni koji tamo žive tamo borave tek sezonski. Izraelska vojska traži da se ta sela sruše od 1999. godine, jer njihovo postojanje onemogućava izraelskoj vojsci da na tom području izvodi vježbe s bojevim streljivom. Vojska je također tvrdila da bi Palestinci na tom području mogli prikupljati informacije o izraelskim taktikama ili oružje koje zaostane nakon vježbi koje bi zatim „upotrijebili u terorističke svrhe“. Mještani sela i aktivisti izraelskih organizacija za ljudska prava iz Udruženja za građanska prava u Izraelu (ACRI) i B'Tselema na sudu su tvrdili kako su sela kojima prijeti rušenje naseljena najkasnije od 1830-tih i predstavljaju prirodan razvoj zajednica koje su stanovale u spiljama kakve postoje diljem ove regije. Aktivisti su također upozorili da su mještani na tom području neometano živjeli do 1997. godine, što znači da je Izrael priznao da se radi o trajnim stanovnicima. No ti argumenti nisu uspjeli uvjeriti Visoki sud, pa će raseljeni mještani biti preseljeni u grad Yattu i bit će im dopušteno da se u svoje domove vrate samo kao bi obrađivali zemlju ili izvodili stada na ispašu tijekom ograničenog broja dana koje će odrediti Izrael. 
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Denied Entry: Israel's Treatment of Palestinian-American Visitors (video) 

Boycot Israeli Occupation Dates 
Bojkotirajte datulje izraelske okupacije (19. srpanj 2012.) 
Više od polovice medjool datulja u svijetu uzgojeno je u Izraelu, prvenstveno u ilegalnim kolonističkim naseljima na Zapadnoj obali izgrađenim na okupiranoj palestinskoj zemlji. Izraelske datulje često beru Palestinci koji rade pod nepoštenim i nepovoljnim uvjetima rada. Datulje prodaje izraelska tvrtka Hadilklaim pod raznim markama uključujući Jordan River, Jordan River-Bio Tops i King Solomon. Te se datulje izvoze diljem svijeta i godišnje izraelskim izvoznicima donose zaradu od 265 milijuna američkih dolara. U skladu s Pozivom palestinskog civilnog društva na bojkot, dezinvestiranje i sankcije (BDS) iz 2005. savjesni ljudi u cijelom svijetu bojkotiraju datulje tvrtke Hadilklaim iskazujući i na taj način solidarnost s milijunima Palestinaca koji su žrtve izraelskog aparthejda. Uskratite i Vi svoju podršku izraelskoj okupaciji bojkotom datulja tvrtke Hadilklaim! 
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U 19 kampova na Zapadnoj obali 780.000 palestinskih izbjeglica 
U palestinskoj Zapadnoj obali, u 19 izbjegličkih kampova, u neimaštini i gladi živi oko 780.000 Palestinaca. Prema izvještaju Ujedinjenih naroda (UN), svaka četvrta u svijetu registrirana izbjeglica je Palestinac. Izbjeglice preživljavaju s kuponima za hranu i namirnicama koje im podjeli UN-ova organizacija za pomoć (UNRWA). Direktorica za odnose s javnošću Ilona Kassissieh kazala je u izjavi za agenciju Anadolija da je "sadašnje stanje u kojem se nalaze palestinske izbjeglice počelo 1948. godine, i da je ušlo u svoju 64. godinu".
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Josh Ruebner on Negotiating Peace and Redefining Refugees (video) 

Finkelstein, BDS and the destruction of Israel 
The Belfast Agreement preserves an existing “two-state solution” in Ireland unless and until people in both jurisdictions choose any other arrangement. But in the meantime, it required one of the states – Northern Ireland – to transform into an inclusive democracy from an oppressive ethnocracy. The agreement also required the Republic of Ireland to strengthen its own human rights and equality guarantees. So if Northern Ireland is the model, how would it transpose to Palestine? Clearly, Israel would have to become, like Northern Ireland, a bi-national state with strict equality and full representation for all citizens. All laws privileging Jews would have to be abolished and strong measures taken to redress historic and present injustices and prevent future discrimination. A Palestinian state would have to be no less committed to equality. There would be complete freedom of movement and residency between Israel and the Palestinian state, and because ethnic and racial privileges would have to be abolished, Palestinian refugees could exercise their right to return to the state of their choice and gain citizenship in either. The Republic of Ireland grants citizenship to any person from abroad with one grandparent born in Ireland, regardless of religion or ethnic background. A similar law could replace Israel's racist “Law of Return” that grants citizenship only to Jews while discriminating against Palestinians. Jews would have no separate right of self-determination, but like Protestants in Northern Ireland, would enjoy full democratic rights to participate in self-determination as residents of the territory. All these principles underpin the Belfast Agreement and yet they did not mean the “destruction of Northern Ireland”. What they rightly did away with is ethno-religious privileges for Protestants at the expense of Catholics. 
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Witnesses: Israeli forces move military checkpoint, annex land 
Izraelske snage pomaknule vojnu kontrolnu točku i anektirale zemlju (5. kolovoz 2012.) 
Izraelske su snage, prema tvrdnjama svjedoka, u nedjelju (5. kolovoza) pomaknule dio vojne kontrolne točke u blizini sela al-Khader, u okolici Betlehema. Kontrolna točka na ulazu u kolonističko naselje Newe Daniyyel, koje je izgrađeno na zemlji u privatnom palestinskom vlasništvu, pomaknuta je oko 400 metara, čime je efektivno kolonističkom naselju pripojeno oko 300 dunuma zemljišta. Poljoprivrednici više neće moći doći do svojih polja koja se prostiru na području od oko 3000 četvornih metara. 
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Settlers' install locked gate to Silwan Spring 
Kolonisti postavili zaključana vrata na Silwanski izvor (28. srpanj 2012.) 
U ponedjeljak, 23. srpnja, na području Ein Silwana izbili su sukobi nakon što su palestinski stanovnici Silwana uklonili prepreke koje su kolonisti postavili na južnom ulazu u Silwanski izvor. Izraelski su kolonisti taj dan tijekom poslijepodneva na ulaz u Silwanski izvor postavili zaključana čelična vrata, tvrdeći da će imamu džamije Ein Silwan dati ključeve tih vrata, no tu je tvrdnju opovrglo lokalno Islamsko vijeće. Mještani su sami pokušali ukloniti vrata, a izraelske su ih snage na to napale zvučnim granatama. Izbili su sukobi u kojima su mještani izraelske snage gađali kamenjem. Mještani su odlučni oduprijeti se izraelskim pokušajima preuzimanja kontrole nad povijesnim Ein Silwanom. Sjeverni ulaz na ovaj lokalitet već je pod kolonističkom kontrolom i kroz njega pristup imaju samo izraelski kolonisti i turisti, dok su Palestinci koji ulaze kroz južni ulaz često izloženi uznemiravanju od strane kolonista. 
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Olive Trees Uprooted Near Havat Maon (video) 
Uništena maslinova stabla u blizini kolonističkog naselja Havat Maon (video) 

I pescatori di Gaza per Vittorio Arrigoni (Parte 1) (video) 


HRVATSKA: 
Razgovor s radnicima ITAS-a: Tvornica se brani iznutra! (I.) 
2001. godine Marija Brezovec, vlasnica tvrtke „Breza“, šefica računovodstva u CONING-u, tvrtci Radimira Čaćića, i HNS-ova gradonačelnica Ivanca, kupuje dionice ITAS d.d. Najprije kupuje 20% državnog udjela, potom otkupljuje dionice PIF-a „Sunce“ i prelazi u većinsko vlasništvo, a da bi bila apsolutni vlasnik 75% udjela nudi radnicima novac za dionice; jedan dio radnika pristaje i radnici padaju na 22% ukupnog udjela u tvrtci. No kupnjom dionica ne postaješ vlasnik nekretnine, barem sam ja to tak' tumačio, dok je gospođa Brezovec tumačila kako ona sada može raditi s radnicima i tvrtkom što želi. Nakon godinu dana smo ustanovili da su osnovane sestrinske firme u koje se počela iznositi imovina ITAS-a. U isto vrijeme smo pregovarali o kolektivnom ugovoru kojeg uprava nije htjela potpisati. Tada je direktor ITAS-a bio Ivan Canjuga, nećak M. Brezovec. Ona saziva sjednicu nadzornog odbora na koju su pozvani i predstavnici sindikata jer smo bili organizirali jednodnevni štrajk upozorenja. Na sjednici je M. Brezovec rekla kako neće udovoljiti našim zahtjevima, da je ona da CONING opstane otvorila sedam sestrinskih firmi, a da će za ITAS otvoriti i deset ako treba. 
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BAHREIN: 
Stitching Up Our Injured Children 
About the boy: he was thirteen years old, small and skinny, wearing a red t-shirt with white stripes and was terrified. Not only had his head been split open when the protest ended in clashes and a tear gas canister was fired directly at him by the riot police, but his fifteen year old brother had also been arrested, and the brother's fate was unknown. When the boy covered his face with his hands and began to weep, it was for his brother, he told us, not because of his wound. About the “clinic”: it was the living room of a family who had made it available for this purpose. The boy sat on a thin mat on the floor, two women nurses wearing black abayas and hijabs crouched down next to him, gauze, cotton balls, ointment and rubber gloves strewn on the floor between them. If the boy's family took him to a proper clinic or to the hospital, he might be arrested for having participated in a protest. If the nurses treating him were discovered, they, too might face arrest. “But we have to do something,” one nurse, a young woman with a quiet voice and flashing eyes said to me. “When I see this happening, especially to the children, I can't just sit and do nothing.” Would she say that on camera, with her face covered, I ask. She smiled and shook her head no. “I was already arrested and they know me and even my voice. It is too risky.” She showed me a bone in her body that had been broken from torture she received during her last imprisonment and how it had not healed properly and never would, even after two surgeries. 
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Ugrožen život bahreinskog aktivista za ljudska prava koji štrajka glađu dulje od 70 dana

Izvor i link na akciju AI-a: Free Bahraini Hunger Striker Near Death 

Ugledni bahreinski aktivist za ljudska prava, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, već dulje od 9 tjedana štrajka glađu prosvjedujući protiv kazne doživotnog zatvora koja mu je dosuđena zbog sudjelovanja u nenasilnim prosvjedima. Sigurnosne snage su mu u zatvoru slomile vilicu na 4 mjesta i podvrgle ga strašnom fizičkom, psihološkom i seksualnom mučenju. Nakon što je al-Khawaja uhićen prošle godine njegova je žena dobila otkaz na poslu, jedna od kćeri mu je uhićivana 5 puta, a uhićeni su i mučeni i njegovi zetovi. Istovremeno brojne strane vlade besramno ignoriraju svakodnevna i sveprisutna kršenja ljudskih prava u Bahreinu. 

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja je jedan od 14 opozicijskih bahreinskih aktivista koji su uhićeni u proljeće 2011. zbog sudjelovanja u nenasilnim protuvladinim prosvjedima. Abdulhadi štrajka glađu od 8. veljače 2012. i u kritičnom je stanju. Zajedno s još 6 osoba osuđen je na doživotnu zatvorsku kaznu. Još je 7 opozicijskih čelnika osuđeno na zatvorske kazne na nepoštenim suđenjima na vojnim sudovima. Amnesty International vjeruje da je ovo 14 ljudi (Hassan Mshaima', 'Abdelwahab Hussain, 'Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Dr 'Abdel-Jalil al-Singace, Mohammad Habib al-Miqdad, Abdel-Jalil al-Miqdad, Sa'eed Mirza al-Nuri, Mohammad Hassan Jawwad, Mohammad 'Ali Ridha Isma'il, Abdullah al-Mahroos, 'Abdul-Hadi 'Abdullah Hassan al-Mukhodher, Ebrahim Sharif, Salah 'Abdullah Hubail al-Khawaja i Al-Hur Yousef al-Somaikh) zatvoreno isključivo zbog nenasilnog prakticiranja svog prava na slobodu izražavanja i okupljanja i da ih bahreinske vlasti trebaju odmah i bezuvjetno osloboditi. 

Na ovom linku možete bahreinskom kralju poslati poruku u kojoj izražavate zabrinutost za ovih 14 aktivista i zdravlje Abdulhadi al-Khawaje, te pozivate na njihovo trenutačno i bezuvjetno puštanje na slobodu i na neovisnu istragu svih navoda o mučenju, objavljivanje rezultata te istrage i procesuiranje odgovornih za kršenja ljudskih prava. 

Da biste poslali poruku potrebno je na linku u polja označena zvjezdicom (*) upisati Ime (First Name), prezime (Last name), e-mail adresu (Email), kućnu adresu (Address line 1), mjesto (City), pod State odabrati Not in the USA, upisati poštanski broj (ZIP/Postal Code), pod Country odabrati državu, označiti kućicu ispred Check here if you do not want to receive email updates and alerts from Amnesty. ako ne želite primati e-mail obavijesti od Amnesty Internationala i kliknuti na SEND NOW. 


Izvor i link na akciju: Free Bahraini Hunger Striker Near Death 



DODATNO: 
PALESTINA/IZRAEL:
PCHR releases new film for Palestinian Prisoners' Day (video) 

Palestinian civil society and human rights organisations mark Palestinian Prisoners' Day with call for action against Israeli prison contractor G4S 
Organizacije palestinskog civilnog društva na Dan palestinskih zarobljenika pozvale na akciju protiv tvrtke G4S koja posluje s izraelskim zatvorima (17. travanj 2012.) 
Organizacije palestinskog civilnog društva su povodom štrajka glađu i kampanje neposluha koji se odvijaju unutar izraelskih zatvora zatražile odgovornost korporacija koje omogućuju i izravno zarađuju na izraelskom neprekidnom kršenju prava palestinskih zarobljenika. Posebice su u svojoj izjavi prozvale dansko-britansku sigurnosnu tvrtku G4S čija je izraelska podružnica 2007. potpisala ugovor s izraelskim zatvorskim vlastima kako bi sigurnosnim sustavima snabdjela glavne izraelske zatvore. G4S je takve sustave isporučio zatvorima Ketziot i Megiddo u kojima izraelske vlasti palestinske političke zatvorenike s okupiranog palestinskog teritorija drže u Izraelu, što je u suprotnosti s međunarodnim pravom. Ista je tvrtka također zatvoru Ofer, koji se nalazi na okupiranoj Zapadnoj obali, dostavila opremu, kao i pritvornim centrima Kishon i Moskobiyyeh. Na tim su lokacijama organizacije za ljudska prava dokumentirale sustavno mučenje i zlostavljanje palestinskih zarobljenika, uključujući djece zarobljenika. Tvrtka G4S je uključena i u druge aspekte izraelskog aparthejda i okupacijskog režima: snabdjela je opremom i uslugama izraelske kontrolne točke na Zapadnoj obali koje čine sastavni dio izraelskog ilegalnog Zida i terminale koji izoliraju okupirani teritorij Pojasa Gaze. G4S je također potpisao ugovore o isporuci opreme i usluga sjedištu izraelske policije na Zapadnoj obali i privatnim poduzećima koja se nalaze u ilegalnim izraelskim kolonističkim naseljima. Skupina pravnih stručnjaka zaključila je da bi G4S mogao biti kazneno odgovoran zbog djelovanja kojima podupire izraelski ilegalni Zid i druga kršenja međunarodnog prava. Zahvaljujući pritisku propalestinskih udruga, Europska unija je najavila da neće obnoviti ugovor za sigurnosne usluge s tvrtkom G4S, a Udruženje studenata edinburškog sveučilišta odlučilo je blokirati ugovor tog sveučilišta s G4S-om. Udruge palestinskog civilnog društva pozivaju i druge javne institucije i organizacije civilnog društva, ali i privatne tvrtke da prekinu svoje poslovne odnose s tvrtkom G4S koja djeluje u službi izraelskog aparthejda i drugih kršenja međunarodnog prava. Zatražile su i da palestinsko vodstvo zabrani da se tvrtka G4S natječe na privatnim i javnim natječajima, te strogu primjenu zakona o bojkotu u arapskom svijetu protiv tvrtki koje surađuju s izraelskim zatvorskim sustavom. Tvrtka G4S ima protivnike i u udrugama civilnog društva u drugim zemljama zbog svoje uloge u kontroverznim režimima deportacija i zatvaranja, kršenja prava radnika, kršenja univerzalnih standarda ljudskih prava i upletenosti u privatizaciju javnih službi, što je dovoljan razlog da se zajedno prokaže ne samo G4S, nego i uloga zatvaranja i privatnih sigurnosnih tvrtki kao političkih sredstava kojima se ušutkavaju i zastrašuju zajednice diljem svijeta. 
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BDS Victory: G4S loses its contract with the European Parliament 
Pobjeda BDS-a: tvrtka G4S ostala bez ugovora s Europskim parlamentom (17. travanj 2012.) 
Europska unija je uslijed prigovora nekoliko zastupnika u europskom parlamentu i propalestinskih aktivista odbila obnoviti svoj ugovor s privatnom sigurnosnom tvrtkom G4S zbog uloge koju ta tvrtka ima u opremanju izraelskih zatvora u kojima se palestinski politički zatvorenici nalaze u suprotnosti s međunarodnim pravom. G4S je zgradama Europskog parlamenta pružao sigurnosne usluge od 2008. U ožujku 2011. skupina od 28 zastupnika u europskom parlamentu, uključujući 8 iz Danske i 6 iz Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva, zatražila je od bivšeg predsjednika parlamenta Jerzy Buzeka da parlament odbije obnoviti ugovor s G4S-om jer ta tvrtka pruža sigurnosne usluge u ilegalnim izraelskim kolonističkim naseljima, na kontrolnim točkama i izraelskim zatvorima u kojima su zatočeni Palestinci. Njihov se zahtjev temeljio na istraživanjima danske nevladine udruge DanWatch i izraelskog projekta „Who Profits“ koja su pokazala i dokumentirala upletenost G4S-a u ilegalne djelatnosti na okupiranom palestinskom području. 
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Video: Brussels protest for Palestinian Prisoners' Day (video) 

Günter Grass, Israel and the crime of poetry
In the European and by extension North American birthplace of anti-Semitism, anti-Semitism is either perfectly alive and well, or transformed into Islamophobia, or camouflaged into Evangelical Zionism, or else abused by some Zionists to silence any opposition coming towards Israel - certainly to no avail. ... With a leading German public intellectual openly criticising Israel, pointing to European hypocrisy, and blaming his own country for aiding and abetting in the aggressive militarisation of the Jewish state - a gushing wound is opened that implicates both Europe and the colonial settlement that in more than one sense is its own creation. In two specific terms, both as a haven for the victims of the Jewish Holocaust and as the legacy of European colonialism, Israel reflects back on its European pedigree. It is here that Grass' poem reveals more than meets the eye. For over 60 years, Palestinians have paid with their lives, liberties and homeland for a European crime with which they had absolutely nothing to do. 
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SIRIJA: 
Syria's Homs 'calm' amid UN monitors visit 
While the situation in Homs has been reportedly calm, activists on Saturday said Damascus suburbs were being shelled by government forces and that several injuries were reported. On Saturday, the opposition Syrian National Council renewed its call for the UN to intervene militarily in the country. "We call anew on the UN Security Council to act with all urgency to intervene militarily to bring an end to the crimes committed by the bloody regime against the unarmed Syrian people," said a statement received in Beirut. ... At least 34 people were reported killed by activists across the country on Friday amid mass anti-government protests after noon prayers. 
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Neke vijesti, linkovi - Palestina/Izrael, Bahrein...

PALESTINA/IZRAEL:
Urgent Appeal: Khader Adnan's Life at Risk as He Enters Day 59 of Hunger Strike
Nakon 59 dana štrajka glađu ugrožen život palestinskog zarobljenika (14. veljača 2012.)
Palestinac Khader Adnan već 59 dana štrajka glađu u izraelskom administrativnom pritvoru. Njegovo je zdravlje kritično i svaki bi trenutak mogao kolabirati. Adnan se žalio na odluku izraelskog vojnog suda da bude stavljen na 4 mjeseca u administrativni pritvor i odlučio je štrajkati glađu dok ga ne oslobode, prosvjedujući na taj način protiv nečovječnog i ponižavajućeg postupanja kojem je izložen od trenutka svog uhićenja 17. prosinca 2011. i protiv izraelske politike pritvaranja Palestinaca bez da su za išta optuženi ili osuđeni.
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Palestinian youth to France: “Stop financing the killing of our people” (photos, video)
Prosvjed protiv trgovine oružjem između Francuske i Izraela (slike, video) (2. veljača 2012.)
Desetci Palestinaca 2. su veljače ove godine prosvjedovali protiv francuske kupovine izraelskih bespilotnih letjelica u vrijednosti od 500 milijuna američkih dolara. Oko 30 ljudi prosvjedovalo je u Jeruzalemu ispred francuskog konzulata, te oko 50 njih u Ramalli ispred Francuskog kulturnog centra. Prosvjednici, koji smatraju da ovim potezom Francuska postaje suučesnica u ratnim zločinima izraelske vojske, pozvali su francusku vladu da Izraelu nametne embargo na oružje i uvede bojkot te zemlje. Jedan od aktivista je izjavio: „Okupili smo se ovdje kako bismo francuskoj vladi poručili da kupnjom bespilotnih letjelica pokazuje potpuno nepoštivanje međunarodnog prava i da treba smjesta prestati kupovati izraelsko oružje koje ubija palestinske građane. Kupnjom proizvoda izraelske vojne industrije francuska vlada podržava ubijanje Palestinaca: potrebno je odmah nametnuti potpuni i sveobuhvatni vojni embargo Izraelu!“ Francusko je ministarstvo obrane 20. srpnja 2011. odlučio od Izraela kupiti ratno oružje u vrijednosti većoj od 318 milijuna eura, a tu je odluku navodno sada potvrdio i francuski parlament. Aktivisti i organizacije solidarnosti s palestinskim narodom u Francuskoj pokrenuli su opsežnu kampanju protiv ove trgovine, a najavljeni su i daljnji prosvjedi ispred francuskih institucija u arapskim zemljama.
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BAHREIN:
The US-Bahraini Exchange: Tear gas from us, kindness in return
For those who haven't followed the struggle in Bahrain, the Pearl Roundabout was like Egypt's Tahrir Square, where Bahraini protesters had camped out for about a month before they were brutally evicted by the police. In an attempt to totally squash the protests, the government had bulldozed the entire square, including the iconic monument in the middle made up of six sails projecting up to the sky and coming together to hold a giant, shining pearl. The men, trying to protect the women from any police repression, set up a blockade to push the women onward toward the permitted march. Meanwhile, thousand of young men started sprinting towards the Pearl Roundabout. Although the protest was totally peaceful, the police (most of whom are not Bahraini and many of whom don't even speak Arabic), responded with an overwhelming barrage of teargas, as well as birdshot and rubber bullets.
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Six US citizens arrested in Bahrain, to be deported
Six US Citizens were arrested by Bahraini security forces in Manama on Tuesday during a peaceful protest on the way to the Pearl Roundabout. Protesters had marched into the city center to reestablish a presence of nonviolent, peaceful protest on the one year anniversary of the Arab Spring uprising in Bahrain. ... The six US citizens were part of a peaceful protest marching towards the Pearl Roundabout – site of last year's peaceful round-the-clock protest in Bahrain, modeled after Egypt's Tahrir Square – when they were attacked. Bahraini authorities appear to have targeted the Witness Bahrain observers, as one volunteer was told that she was detained for reporting on the February 11th Manama protest. The six observers remain in Bahraini custory in the Naem Police Station in Manama. This group of internationals is the second to be deported by the Bahraini government. Attorneys Huwaida Arraf and Radhika Sainath were deported on Saturday, February 11th. The two were handcuffed for the duration of their flight from Bahrain to London. Several international observers remain on the ground.
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Radhika Sainath describes arrest and deportation from Bahrain (video)

Day and Night in a Bahraini Jail – Part One
Then the police left the boy, and surrounded me. They were all Pakistani, mercenaries brought by the regime to put down protesters. “You can't photo,” one said. “I'm not. I couldn't get it to work,” I said putting the iPad away. They closed in and my back was against the wall. The women of the alley watched from balconies and corners. “You are lucky you are Indian,” said one of the policeman. “If you were from Bahrain we would arrest you.” My mind raced, how would Pakistani Sunni in a Bahraini police force feel towards an Indian Hindu at a mostly-Shia'a democracy march? There did seem to be a common South Asian bond, but I decided to air on the side of caution. “Oh I'm American,” I said. “But my parents are from India.” They started questioning me about my attendance at the protest how I go there and why I was present. Did I know they were saying bad things about the Bahraini regime, that they were chanting down with Hamad.” “Do they allow people to say bad things about the government in America?” asked one. The others nodded at his logic, certain that I would now understand the outrageousness of the protesters' actions. “Of course. People said bad things about George Bush all the time. They hated Bush. And now lots of people protest against Obama.” They were quiet, and I pressed on, telling them that I was in their country, Pakistan, a few years ago supporting the lawyer's democracy movement. “The people hated Musharraf, and they went to the street.” I hoped I played my cards right—what if these guys liked Musharraf? But nobody liked Musharraf. I watched their eyes blink in understanding. They hated their dictatorship, but were supporting another non-democratic regime.
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Occupied Bahrain one year after the uprising
In the afternoon we attempted to make our way to Pearl Roundabout. There was a huge traffic jam because the police had put up roadblocks, and so many people were trying to get downtown. Today there was no permitted march like yesterday. People were simply planning to get as close to the Roundabout as they could. On the highway leading to the center of town, the streets were reverberating with the sounds of Down, Down, Hamad, Down Down, Hamad. Hamad is the King, and it's illegal to speak against the King, the Prime Minister or the royal family. Some of the cars were just honking their horns to the beat of Down, Down, Hamad. It was a traffic insurrection, an uprising on the highway. The police didn't know what to do. One young man in the lane next to us stuck his head out the roof of his car, yelling Down, down, Hamad. The police started running after his car, firing tear gas, as if he were some hardened criminal. In the car in front of us was the amazing human rights activist/organizer Nabeel Rajab. We saw him and some of his colleague get out of their car and start walking. We were still far away from the roundabout, but we jumped out of our cars to join the group. I put on my sign saying “Observer” and grabbed my gas mask. We, the observers, were declared illegal by the government, who wanted to keep all observers and most journalists out of the country so they wouldn't see the demonstrations. We hadn't walked for more than a few minutes when the police ran towards us. BOOM, BOOM. They started shooting tear gas canisters—not in the air to disperse us, but RIGHT AT US, like bullets. Most of us started running. I ran with Tighe and Billy (two of the other US observers) and others right into the highway, sprinting as fast as we could and hiding behind the cars. BOOM, BOOM. Two of the canisters feel right next to me. People in the cars, perfect strangers, starting opening their car doors and pulling all of us inside. “Get in, get in,” they shouted.
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What I Learned in the Airport in Bahrain
In its efforts to keep people like me out – people who want to observe how the Bahrain government is responding to peaceful protests – the Bahrain government has adopted a policy of suspicion towards a much broader group of Westerners. And that's going to hurt the Bahrain government's image among a much broader group of people than just people like me. It will hurt the willingness of tourists and business people to come to Bahrain. I saw a bunch of very irate British people this morning who said they had been invited by Bahrain's oil company to give a marketing presentation. They said they were late to their meeting, because the Bahrain authorities would not let them out of the airport. One of them started saying, very loudly, “I don't even want to be here.” A saw an English woman say: I've been here before, it's never been like this. I saw a bunch of Spaniards who said they came for a conference, one of whom said he was supposed to make a presentation. They could not get out of the airport. They were also very irate. I also saw an AP journalist who could not get out of the airport.
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SIRIJA:
Bombardment of Syrian city continues
Syrian troops have shelled the central city of Homs for a 10th day, opposition activists say, amid suggestions by the UN's human rights chief that the UN Security Council's failure to pass a resolution condemning Syria has encouraged the government to intensify its attacks on civilians. At least seven people were killed and more than 20 injured on Tuesday in the city's Bab Amr neighbourhood, which endured relentless barrage of heavy machinegun fire, tank shells, mortars and rocket-propelled granades, according to the activists. ... Tanks of government troops are also stationed in Inshaat. Many residents displaced from the neighbourhood report that their homes have been looted and sometimes occupied by government forces. Elsewhere in Syria, activists said on Tuesday that security forces stormed Taybeh in the southern province of Deraa after heavy shelling on the town. Amid the violence, Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told the General Assembly on Monday that President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on dissidents indicated crimes against humanity had taken place since March 2011 and were continuing. ... Pillay also said that "credible reports indicate that Syrian security forces killed well above 5,400 people last year, including civilians as well as military personnel who refused to shoot civilians".
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2 peticije protiv kršenja ljudskih prava u Bahreinu

Prosvjednici u Bahreinu danas obilježavaju prvu godišnjicu ustanka građana Bahreina za veća građanska i politička prava. Bahreinske su vlasti tijekom protekle godine protiv prosvjednika primjenjivale pretjeranu silu, a uhićeni prosvjednici izloženi su zlostavljanju i mučenju. Do danas nije poznato je li itko odgovarao za ova kršenja ljudskih prava. Stotine nenasilnih prosvjednika kazneno su gonjene, dok su drugi otpušteni ili izbačeni sa svojih studija zbog korištenja svog prava na slobodu izražavanja i okupljanja. Tijekom posljednjih tjedana vlasti u Bahreinu su eskalirale nasilno gušenje prosvjeda, a brojnim novinarima i aktivistima za ljudska prava onemogućen je ulaz u zemlju.

Na poziv aktivista za ljudska prava u Bahreinu udruga građana „Witness Bahrain“ je u Bahrein poslala aktiviste - međunarodne promatrače, većinom iz SAD-a, koji zajedno s bahreinskim građanima sudjeluju u nenasilnim prosvjedima i vanjski svijet informiraju o onome što se u toj zemlji doista događa. Njihove izvještaje možete na engleskom pratiti na stranici Witness Bahrain.


U nastavku linkovi na 2 peticije protiv kršenja ljudskih prava u Bahreinu:

Peticija Obami protiv prodaje američkog oružja Bahreinu
Na linku možete potpisati peticiju američkom predsjedniku Baracku Obami kojom tražimo da se obustavi prodaja američkog oružja Bahreinu zbog kršenja ljudskih prava građana u toj zemlji, tako dugo dok vlada ne pristane na demokratske promjene i ne prestane koristiti nasilje protiv nenasilnih građana.
Više informacija i link na peticiju: Stop any new arms deals with Bahrain


Peticija bahreinskom kralju protiv nasilnog gušenja nenasilnih prosvjeda
Na linku možete potpisati peticiju Amnesty Internatinala upućenu bahreinskom kralju šeiku Hamadu bin 'Issi Al Khalifi kojom od bahreinskih vlasti tražimo da poštuju i zaštite ljudska prava na slobodu mišljenja i izražavanja, kao i na slobodu nenasilnog okupljanja i udruživanja bahreinskih građana, te da smjesta oslobode sve osobe koje su lišene slobode zbog korištenja svojih legitimnih prava na slobodu izražavanja i okupljanja, istraže sve navode o mučenju uhićenih prosvjednika, objave rezultate takvih istraga i privedu odgovorne pravdi, kao i da svi građani otpušteni ili izbačeni iz fakulteta zbog korištenja svog prava na slobodu izražavanja i okupljanja budu vraćeni na svoja radna mjesta i sveučilišta.
Više informacija i link na peticiju: Tell Bahrain the World is Watching


Više informacija o stanju i prosvjedima u Bahreinu:
WITNESS BAHRAIN
On the Ground International Solidarity with Bahrain's Revolution
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Linkovi – uglavnom Palestina/Izrael

PALESTINA/IZRAEL:
IN PHOTOS: Israeli teenagers train with lethal weapons
SLIKE: Izraelski tinejdžeri vježbaju sa smrtonosnim oružjem (3. siječanj 2012.)
Nekoliko desetaka tinejdžerskih dobrovoljaca uvježbavano je i naoružano smrtonosnim oružjem, uključujući puške M16, kako bi pomagali izraelskoj pograničnoj policiji (Magav). Djeca i mladi u sklopu Noar Mogava (Mladeži pogranične policije) patroliraju kontrolnim točkama i privode palestinske radnike koji pokušavaju ući u Izrael bez dozvole.
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Hamas: Peaceful resistance not applicable to Gaza
Hamas: Nenasilan otpor nije primjenjiv u Gazi (3. siječanj 2012.)
Hamasov čelnik Mahmoud Zahhar je izrazio sumnju da će njegova stranka podržati nenasilan otpor Izraelu kako to zagovaraju u stranci Fatah. Prema dogovoru o pomirenju između ove dvije stranke, koji je potpisan u svibnju 2011. Fatahovi dužnosnici tvrde da se Hamasov čelnik u egzilu Khalid Mashaal složio da treba provoditi nenasilne narodne akcije umjesto oružane borbe. Međutim, Zahhar je u ponedjeljak (2. siječnja) ustvrdio da je situacija u Pojasu Gaze drugačija od one na okupiranoj Zapadnoj obali. Zahhar smatra da se u Pojasu Gaze nema protiv koga prosvjedovati, te je opovrgao tvrdnje da je s Fatahom dogovoren program nenasilnog otpora, iako je priznao da se o tome razgovaralo. Zahhar smatra da se masovni narodni prosvjedi kakvi se odvijaju u sklopu arapskog proljeća ne mogu koristiti za suprotstavljanje Palestinaca izraelskoj okupaciji. Fatahov dužnosnik Azzam al-Ahmad tvrdi da su Abbas i Mashaal na sastanku 24. studenog 2011. dogovorili provođenje nenasilnog otpora i njegovo jačanje u Pojasu Gaze i na Zapadnoj obali.
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Gaza Lives: Reflecting on 'Operation Cast Lead'
Some of the alleged Israeli investigations were reportedly said to be covering—as Col. Tamir Yadi put it—"claims regarding incidents in which many uninvolved civilians were harmed," but not mentioning a single word about Al Samouni massacre, the single most atrocious incident in the entire assault, where Israeli forces had ordered the entire Al Samouni family to gather in one house—of course, to ensure the highest ratio of casualties--before they premeditatedly bombed it, killing 21 persons and injuring 19 others. The incident, however, grabbed the world's attention as hundreds of media reports and firsthand witnesses amassed. Israel immediately pretended an investigation was under way. Despite the overwhelming evidence, including a bunch of air force officers' compatible testimony, that Ilan Malka, a senior brigade commander, was responsible for authorizing the strike while being aware of a civilian presence in the area. Later on, exactly three years after the massacre, Israel deliberately buried the case and didn't take any legal actions against him, but instead decided to promote him to the position of brigadier general.
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3 January 2009: Motee' and Isma'il as-Selawy
On 3 January 2009, at around 17:20, during prayer time, an Israeli drone fired a missile at the western entrance of al-Maqadma mosque in Jabaliya refugee camp. In the attack, 15 worshipers were killed and hundreds were injured.
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While America shuts down fire houses, cuts infant nutrition, US subsidizes Israel army sushi courses (video)
There's an astonishing piece of news in Israel's Haaretz today under the headine “Israel allocates funds to help former IDF soldiers become sushi chefs”: “Demobilized soldiers will be able to study Asian cooking this year at the government's expense, as part of an effort to reduce the number of foreign workers employed as cooks in Asian restaurants by training Israeli professionals to replace them.“ It's shocking for two reasons – one is the xenophobia that is rising to astonishing heights in Israel: not even the cooks of foreign cuisine can be foreign (I'll come back to this) – but because of what it says about how Israel is using US military aid at a time of drastic cuts and austerity for American citizens.
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Israeli government tells police, prisons to gear up for more migrant workers
"Once again the government is lying to the public. Even before the law has been passed, the government is proving its true intentions regarding the punishments set down," said Reut Michaeli, the director of the Hotline for Migrant Workers. "The result is that in Israel refugees can be punished with life imprisonment - which is disproportionate to the seriousness of their crime or the degree any other person in the same circumstances would be punished."
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Eyeing the primary, Likud lawmakers swing right
Nearly 10,000 of the 120,000 people with the right to vote in internal Likud elections come from the settlements. There are also many Likud members inside the Green Line who are ideological allies of the settlers.
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BAHREIN:
Appalling Bahraini Prison Conditions and Treatment
Since early 2011, Washington, Western governments, and major media scoundrels largely ignored outrageous Al Khalifa monarchy abuses. They include crackdowns on nonviolent protesters, mass arrests, torture, intimidation, and cold-blooded murder. The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) and other NGOs documented:
46 killings;
1,500 arbitrary arrest cases;
1,866 torture and abuse cases;
500 prisoners of conscience;
destruction of over 40 mosques and other places of worship;
4.000 summary firings of workers suspected of having unsympathetic regime views;
500 individuals forced into exile for their safety;
three innocent men on death row;
477 students expelled for supporting democratic change;
and 96 targeted journalists.
Ruthless repression continues. In September, special military tribunals lawlessly sentenced 208 civilians to a combined 2,500 years in prison. Twenty doctors got up to 15 years for treating injured protesters. Arrests continue daily. Violence is extreme. ... "Bahrain is an example of news censorship that succeeded with the complicity of the international community, which said nothing." Appalling human rights violations continue daily, including at Jaw prison.
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