Today in Palestine

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Monday March 29, 2004 18:38 by MrParadise MrParadise_lb at hotmail dot com

briefing

International Activists Protest “Apartheid Wall”
American, British, Swedish and Palestinian -Israeli peace activists told WAFA that they protest against the construction of the “Apartheid Wall” which swallows the Palestinian land in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Israeli soldiers savagely attacked the International pacifists with tear-gas canisters and rubber bullets...
http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?field=tech_news&id=332


Franciscans Condemn Apartheid Wall at UN Commission
“As a Franciscan living in Jerusalem, I can testify to the flagrant human rights violations that take place daily due to the wall’s erection,” said Fr Marco Malagola OFM on 24 March at the 60th UN Commission on Human Rights (CHR). The Italian-born friar heads the Justice and Peace Commission of the Custody of the Holy Land.
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_040325fi.shtml


5000 in Switzerland Demonstrate Against The Apartheid Wall
The mobilization in Switzerland is continuing and the solidarity groups are organising a press Conference for Land Day, 30th of March. The press conference will announce the handing over of thousands of signatures against the Apartheid Wall to the Swiss Government.
http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/437.shtml


Ghariba Dauood from Beit Duqqu: Personal Testimony
We jumped in front of the bulldozers and climbed up on them, for two whole days they beat us with their batons, two of my children were beaten badly, my third son was killed by the occupation when he was participating in a demonstration in solidarity with the prisoners in 12th July 1998.
http://stopthewall.org/communityvoices/433.shtml


IOF Murders Palestinian Civilian near Hebron
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shot and killed Sunday a Palestinian citizen of Dahireya village near the southern West Bank city of Hebron, WAFA and witnesses reported.
http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?field=tech_news&id=326


Israeli army arrests nine Palestinians in central Gaza
The Israeli army closed the roadblock, which was established in the main Salah El-Din road, and carried out searching campaigns among Palestinians who were barred from reaching their workplaces, the sources said, adding that nine of them were arrested and were led to unknown destinations.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-03/29/content_1388574.htm


Israeli Orders to Demolish 11 Houses in Hebron
(IOF) Sunday handed orders to eleven Palestinian citizens, in Hebron, notifying them of the destruction of their houses. In the meantime, tens of Israeli armed colonizers attacked Palestinian citizens and houses in the Wadi al-Nasara neighbourhood in Hebron...
http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?field=tech_news&id=331


IOF Blasts House in WB
backed by tanks, stormed, at dawn, the village and dynamited a two-storey house owned by Abdulraheem Ibrahem. Witnesses told WAFA that Israeli soldiers forced many civilians to evacuate their houses and a thrill of fear went through children and women.
http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?field=tech_news&id=328


A sudden concern for the Palestinian child - By Gideon Levy
The hundreds of children who have been killed, the thousands who have been crippled, and the hundreds of thousands who live under conditions of siege and poverty, and are exposed every day to violence and humiliation - all this has failed to move the Israeli public. Just the child with the belt.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/409293.html


British MP wants economic sanctions against Israel
A British Member of Parliament from the ruling Labour party, Gerald Kaufman, has called for economic sanctions against Israel, including cutting off arms supplies, to force it back to the negotiating table with the Palestinians.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1075727.htm


U.S.: Request to recognize settlement blocs is ill-timed
The sources were quoted as saying the Israeli proposal was ill-timed in light of President George W. Bush's efforts to calm the Arab world in the aftermath of Israeli's targeted assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin last week.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/409506.html


Nasrallah tells Hamas that Hezbollah is at its service
"I say to our brothers in Palestine: We in Lebanon are with you. Be sure that your blood is our blood and your sheikh is our sheikh. We share the same destiny and this means that our fight is one," Nasrallah said.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/409515.html


Hamas representative slams Arabs for postponing summit
Mohamad Ghazal, a representative of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the West Bank, stated on Sunday that the postponement of the Arab League shows the disability of the Arab regimes.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-03/28/content_1388487.htm


Hamas leader vows attacks on Israel
"The doors now are wide open for attacks inside Israel, and I expect the response to the assassination of Sheikh Yassin to be the strongest," Abdel-Aziz Ranteesi, the Hamas leader, told reportersin a statement.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-03/28/content_1388526.htm


Premier Qurei Says Meeting with Sharon Unexpected
Palestinian Prime Minister, Ahmad Qurei, confirmed Saturday that a summit meeting with his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon is unexpected in the aftermath of Israeli warplanes assassination of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of Hamas last Monday.
http://www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_e/ipc_e-1/e_News/news2004/2004_03/141.html


Cabinet Members Calls for Sharon's Resignation
The Justice Ministry said State Attorney Edna Arbel submitted a draft indictment to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, who would have final say on whether to put the 76-year-old prime minister on trial.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/03/29/253.html


Jordanian King Abdullah: Israelis don't want peace
"It embarrassed us very much. I spoke with him [Sharon] about the peace process and left under a good impression... unfortunately, he decided to carry out the operation that was condemned worldwide," King Abdullah said.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=409306&contrassID=1&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y


About 300 physically disabled stage march to protest against Sheik Yassin's killing
About 300 physically disabled Sudanese, rolling on wheelchairs or walking with crutches, marched five city blocks Sunday in a demonstration against Israel's assassination of Palestinian leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin.
http://www.sudantribune.com/article.php3?id_article=2251


Three Generals, One Martyr - By: Uri Avnery
I recount this experience in order to point out that the picture of Hamas as an inveterate enemy of all peace and compromise is not accurate. Of course, 10 years of bloodshed, suicide bombings and targeted assassinations have passed since then. But even now, the picture is much more complex than meets the eye.
http://www.amin.org/eng/uri_avnery/2004/mar28.html


Some people are going to miss Ahmed Yassin
His authority, his senior position in the movement and his influence on its members derived from a combination of his cumulative experience, his personality, the successes of all the social and political projects he initiated, his personal sacrifices, the personal example he gave, the way he dealt with his handicap and his relationship with people.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/409304.html


Why Israel boycotted the International Court hearing on West Bank wall
Yet, instead of eliciting condemnation and threats of reprisals from the United States, Britain and the European Union for having acted as a "rogue state," Israel has been supported in its insistence that the ICJ—and by extension the United Nations—has no right to interfere in Israel’s affairs without prior agreement.
http://stopthewall.org/analysisandfeatures/441.shtml


Court suggests cutting scenes from 'Jenin, Jenin'
"The movie contains controversial statements and four or five scenes that are very problematic," said Mazza, adding that he had seen the film several times and determined that some scenes should be cut to satisfy those who protest its screening.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=409520&contrassID=1&subContrassID=7&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y


Date set for Arab summit
They agreed "the Arab summit will be held in Cairo on the 16th of next month and that the Arab League's secretariat will prepare for the meeting", the official said, on condition of anonymity.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,9114964%255E1702,00.html


Yes, they're kicking us out
The withdrawal from Lebanon and the planned withdrawal from Gaza are only analogous in one way: Israel could have withdrawn in a much more dignified fashion and much sooner.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/409294.html


Analysis / AG needs strong cause to ignore Arbel's decision
State Prosecutor Edna Arbel's recommendation supporting an indictment against the prime minister has near binding status. It can only be ignored if there are very strong reasons to do so.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/409263.html


Road map is forgotten at dead end for negotiation
Israel's assassination of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of Hamas, marked an extraordinarily dangerous escalation in the conflict between Jews and Arabs in Palestine. There could hardly be a more dramatic demonstration of the disparity in military power between the two parties to this conflict.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1179728,00.html


Bush under Fire over Sharon Invitation
A senior Jewish MP today launched an attack on US President George Bush’s decision to invite Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to the White House. The invitation amounted to a “presidential seal of approval” for Sharon’s Likud Government, which was responsible for “indiscriminate” killings of Palestinians, said Mr Kaufman.
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2709796


U.S.-Led Coalition Shuts Down Iraq Paper
The U.S.-led coalition on Sunday shut down a weekly newspaper run by followers of a hardline Shiite Muslim cleric, saying its articles were increasing the threat of violence against occupation forces.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=540&e=5&u=/ap/20040328/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_newspaper_closed


Occupiers spend millions on private army of security men - By Robert FIsk
One British company director, David Claridge of the security firm Janusian, has estimated that British firms have earned up to £800m from their contracts in Iraq - barely a year after the invasion of Iraq. One British-run firm, Erinys, employs 14,000 Iraqis as watchmen and security guards to protect the country's oil fields and pipelines.
http://www.robert-fisk.com/articles382.htm