Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Wed, 14 Jul 2004 05:50:43 GMT

Sunday, May 23, 2004

Sun, 23 May 2004 23:20:23 GMT

i've had about enough of this bullshit. the last month has been probably one of the most horrible times for Palestinians. innocents are dying, their houses are being blown up by the dozen, their health is decreasing, they have no food, money, and now no homes. this is pure bullshit, and it's happening as we speak. here are excerpts from some articles i thought were very interesting. maybe these can open up people's eyes and hopefully someone will stop the israel government from continuing their holocaust of the palestinian people.

Source: BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Gaza political storm hits Israel

The Israeli justice minister has infuriated cabinet colleagues by saying the army offensive in Gaza reminded him of his family's woes in World War II.

Lapid's Shinui party is the prime minister's main coalition partner

The UN estimates at least 1,600 people have lost their homes

Source: BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Clashes as gaza buries its dead

Thousands of Palestinians have attended funerals for 16 people killed during an Israeli raid in Gaza, the biggest in recent years.

About 40 Palestinians have died in the incursion

Some of the worst damage in Tel Sultan was to farming infrastructure

Source: BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | UN man highlights Rafah aid needs

A senior UN official says massive assistance is needed for people who have had their homes destroyed by the Israeli army in Gaza.

The girl was walking with a group of older children when killed

Source: BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Palestinian health crisis warning

(By Imogen Foulkes- BBC correspondent in Geneva)
The WHO has warned the health situation in the West Bank and Gaza has reached a critical point and could slide into collapse without further assistance.

Source: BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | 'I have lost everything'

Israeli troops have destroyed dozens of homes in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip. Israeli restrictions are making it hard to reach the area, but the BBC's Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston has been contacting people there on their mobile phones.

The UN says 1,000 Palestinians have been made homeless

Thousands have lost their homes in Gaza in the last three years

Multi-storey buildings are among those destroyed in the operation

"One thing that strikes you is that so many people said they had their homes bulldozed while they were in the houses."
-The UN's Peter Hansen

The UN's construction programme is being outpaced

The Palestinian Holocaust

Saturday, May 15, 2004

Sat, 15 May 2004 00:06:52 GMT

1,100 Palestinian homes demolished in one month.

Source: BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Gaza raids 'leave 1,000 homeless"

Homes have been bulldozed almost every day since the start of May

Israeli military raids in Gaza this month have left 1,100 Palestinians homeless, a United Nations agency says.

About 130 homes have been razed in what the UN agency for Palestinian refugees says is one of the most intense periods of destruction for years.

The group says Israel is meting out illegal collective punishment after the killing of a settler and her four daughters in Gaza a week ago.

The Israeli army described the UN figures as highly exaggerated.

A spokesman said the demolitions were not arbitrary, and were only carried out on buildings they knew to have been used by militants to attack Israeli targets.

'Wrong place'

Israeli troops demolished 13 Palestinian houses on Monday - a day after gunmen ambushed Jewish settlers holding an outdoor memorial service for Gaza settler Tali Hatuel and her daughters.

In all, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said 131 homes had been demolished or wrecked beyond repair this month alone in army operations against militants who launch attacks inside Israel.

It described the action as "one of the most intense periods of destruction" since the Palestinian intifada or uprising against Israel began in September 2000.

UNRWA's commissioner general, Peter Hansen, issued a statement condemning the killings of the female settler and her four children, which correspondents say has provoked extreme tension in Gaza.

But he went on to say that Palestinians as a whole in certain areas were suffering the reprisals in a form of collective punishment forbidden by international law.

"The overwhelming majority of the more than 17,000 Palestinians who have lost their homes in Gaza since the start of the intifada [the uprising which began in September 2000] have been guilty of nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.

Settlers were pinned down for about 20 minutes in Sunday's ambush

Israeli bulldozers flattened a row of homes along the road and a four-storey block of flats was blown up on Monday, leaving about 75 Palestinians homeless, reports said.

"They left nothing for us," said one, a member of the Abu Hadaf clan which occupied most of the buildings.

"The bulldozers are uprooting trees, demolishing our houses," he said.

The Israeli army said the houses had been destroyed because gunmen had used them for cover.

Dramatic footage

It came a day after gunmen ambushed some 300 Jewish settlers attending a heavily-guarded service on the Kissufim road near Gush Katif settlement for Tali Hatuel and her children.

No Israelis were hurt in Sunday's ambush, but settlers were left crouching behind vehicles as shooting continued for 20 minutes.

Mrs Hatuel was ambushed on 2 May on her way to Israel to lobby voters in a Likud party referendum on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to evacuate the settlements in Gaza.

Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack.

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Friday, April 30, 2004

Fri, 30 Apr 2004 20:59:06 GMT

for those who think Palestinians are the only ones who violated human rights

Source: BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Israel faces human shield claim

Activists claim Mohammed was tied to the jeep by police.

Israeli human rights activists have accused border police of using a 13-year-old Palestinian as a human shield.

Rabbis for Human Rights say that Mohammed Badwan was tied by police to a jeep during a recent demonstration in the West Bank village of Bidou.

The police apparently hoped this would stop Palestinians from throwing stones during a protest against Israel's West Bank barrier.

Israel's Supreme Court banned the use of human shields in 2002.

Rabbis for Human Rights also say that the boy was beaten by Israeli police before being arrested.

Israeli police spokesman Gil Kleiman said: "It's unclear what happened, we do not expose civilians to physical damage willingly."

The case is to be investigated by the Israeli Justice Ministry.

'Scared'

Mohammed later told the Reuters news agency: "I was scared when they got me at first, I thought they would put me in prison. I was scared a stone would hit me."

Mohammed's father, Saeed, said: "When I saw him on the hood of the jeep, my whole mind went crazy - he was shivering from fear."

Rabbis for Human Rights director Rabbi Arik Ascherman was detained by police when he tried to intervene to help Mohammed.

"It is very sad to see that we have come to this position. There is disbelief," Rabbi Ascherman said.

'Excessive Force'

Palestinian activists in Bidou, a focal point of recent protests against the West Bank barrier, say that the Israeli authorities are increasingly using excessive force to disperse stone throwers.

Medics say four Palestinians have been shot dead this year during violent clashes at protests against the barrier.

Israeli officials say the barrier is necessary to prevent suicide bombings iniside Israel, while Palestinians say the barrier is in reality a land-grab intended to annex West Bank territory occupied by Israel since 1967.

Shot

The use of human shields was banned after an incident in which soldiers forced the neighbour of a suspected militant to knock on his door and deliver their demands. The militant shot and killed the man.

Marwan Dalal, of Israeli Arab rights organisation Adalah, said there was evidence that despite the Supreme Court ban, the use of human shields by Israeli security forces was continuing.

He it said it was more common for soldiers to use Palestinians as human shield during military operations rather than against stone throwers.

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Friday, April 16, 2004

Fri, 16 Apr 2004 01:13:45 GMT

Israeli oppression causes unneccesary death. These illegal activities happen everyday and is censored by Israeli media. Those who say the Palestinians are mostly at fault, please watch this video. The Israeli army is constantly denying human rights to Palestinians and committing ethnic cleansing. It MUST come to an end.

"I don't know what we're doing here. Purification, maybe. It's dirty here. I dont know why a good Hebrew boy should be here so far from his home." -IDF Soldier commenting on the occupation.

edit// don't be surprised if the video doesn't work. pro-palestine sites are constantly shut down on the internet. the video will come on now and then.

Thursday, April 08, 2004

Thu, 08 Apr 2004 05:06:02 GMT

For those who bear the instruments of war—and we are among them,
Some in practice,
Some by a hug of approval—
Are sucked, mumbling "necessity" and "vengeance",
Into the domain of war crimes.

—Nathan Alterman, 1948

The IDF, Israel's military, has been condemned by many worldwide- now even by its own members.

The letter:

Source: Israel News: Jerusalem Post Internet Edition

To: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon

We, citizens who serve in active reserve duty, fighters and officers, Sayeret Matkal veterans, have also chosen to join the forward guard in the manner we have been trained. With grave concern for the future of Israel as a democratic Zionist and Jewish state, and with concern for her moral image – We can no longer stand asside.
We tell you today:
- we shall no longer lend our hand to the subjugation taking place in the territories.
- We shall no longer lend our hand to the quelling of human rights of millions of Palestinians.
- We shall no longer serve as a defense shield for the settlements campaign.
- We shall no longer deface our human image as an army of occupation.
- We shall no longer deny our commitment as fighters in the Israel DEFENSE forces. We fear for the destiny of the children of this land, exposed to an evil that is unnecessary, and to which we have lent our hands. We have long transgressed the border of soldiers, just in their ways, and have become warriors suppressing another nation. We shall cross this border no more! We stress and state: We shall continue to protect the State of Israel and the security of its people from all enemies. "He who dares – wins."

The petition:

Source: Courage to Refuse- Combatant's Letter - Current signers number: 550

We, reserve combat officers and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, who were raised upon the principles of Zionism, sacrifice and giving to the people of Israel and to the State of Israel, who have always served in the front lines, and who were the first to carry out any mission, light or heavy, in order to protect the State of Israel and strengthen it.
We, combat officers and soldiers who have served the State of Israel for long weeks every year, in spite of the dear cost to our personal lives, have been on reserve duty all over the Occupied Territories, and were issued commands and directives that had nothing to do with the security of our country, and that had the sole purpose of perpetuating our control over the Palestinian people. We, whose eyes have seen the bloody toll this Occupation exacts from both sides.
We, who sensed how the commands issued to us in the Territories, destroy all the values we had absorbed while growing up in this country.
We, who understand now that the price of Occupation is the loss of IDF’s human character and the corruption of the entire Israeli society.
We, who know that the Territories are not Israel, and that all settlements are bound to be evacuated in the end.
We hereby declare that we shall not continue to fight this War of the Settlements.
We shall not continue to fight beyond the 1967 borders in order to dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people.
We hereby declare that we shall continue serving in the Israel Defense Forces in any mission that serves Israel’s defense.
The missions of occupation and oppression do not serve this purpose – and we shall take no part in them.

BBC Articles on the original 27 pilots:

A handful of Israeli generals had the courage to refuse occupation- and were still condemned

Thursday, April 01, 2004

Thu, 01 Apr 2004 02:20:02 GMT

$3.2 BILLION/YEAR

When will Americans realize where our tax dollars are going?

Source: BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Corruption probes put Sharon under pressure

By David Chazan
BBC correspondent in Jerusalem

Even Ariel Sharon's own ministers must be wondering how long he can remain Israel's prime minister under the shadow of possible bribery charges.

Ariel Sharon, 76, has been written off many times before

Chief Prosecutor Edna Arbel has recommended charging the prime minister but the decision rests with the Attorney General, Menachem Mazuz.

He may take weeks or months to weigh up the evidence.

Mr Sharon may not be legally obliged to step down if he is charged, but some Israeli political commentators say that in practice he would have little choice.

Others, however, argue that even if he is charged, the pressure for him to resign could subside if he wins American support for his plan to withdraw Israeli forces and settlers from Gaza unilaterally.

Bush support

If the Bush administration does not back Mr Sharon's Gaza plan, the political pressure for him to go would probably intensify - partly because of opposition to the pullout from far-right members of his government and within his Likud party.

A Likud Party referendum on the plan will probably not be held until after Mr Sharon meets President Bush in Washington in April.

The chances that he will be indicted on one of the three corruption probes are 95%

Yaron Ezrahi
Political analyst

Some Likud members and one of Mr Sharon's ministers have already called for his resignation.

"It is only a matter of time before he goes," said Yaron Ezrahi, a political scientist at Hebrew University.

"Even if he is not indicted for bribery, there are two other corruption investigations against him.

"The chances that he will be indicted on one of the three corruption probes are 95%."

But another political scientist at Hebrew University, Shlomo Avineri was not so sure.

"Whether Mr Sharon can remain in office will depend on the attorney-general's decision," Mr Avineri said.

Key players in probes

Q&A: Sharon corruption probes

Sharon and the settlers

"But if he is indicted, the question of resignation will be a political, not a legal issue, and it will depend on the general political situation."

But deciding whether to charge Mr Sharon is a legal matter.

Officials close to the attorney-general say he will only press charges if he is convinced that the evidence is solid enough to secure a conviction.

That's because he would not want to risk forcing Mr Sharon out of office only to see him acquitted.

Some Israeli media have suggested that the attorney-general considers it to be a borderline case.

But he might find it difficult to explain a decision to reject Ms Arbel's recommendation.

Public decided

His predecessor, however, did reject the advice of a chief prosecutor to press charges against former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, although those charges would have been comparatively minor.

Legal analysts say that much of the evidence against Mr Sharon appears circumstantial - at least according to leaks of the draft indictment drawn up by Ms Arbel, which has not been made public.

The case centres on the accusation that Mr Sharon accepted a bribe from an Israeli businessman five years ago to use his influence as foreign minister to persuade the Greek government to allow the businessman to build a casino on a Greek island.

The businessman, David Appel, is also accused of trying to secure Mr Sharon's support for land development projects near Tel Aviv.

Sharon lost defence portfolio over Sabra and Shatila massacres

Mr Appel is already facing charges that he bribed the prime minister by allegedly paying Mr Sharon's son Gilad hundreds of thousands of dollars.

And analysts say the public has already made up its mind.

"The Israeli public believes that bribery did take place," said Professor Ezrahi.

But commentators say that many Israelis, for example those of Russian or Ethiopian origin, or those with roots in the Arab world, have little experience of parliamentary democracy - and they are unlikely to judge their leaders by western standards.

Publicly, Mr Sharon's allies say the combative 76-year-old prime minister - who titled his autobiography "Warrior" - has been in tighter corners and survived.

Contenders

Privately, however, prospective successors are reported to have been frantically scrambling to strengthen their positions.

The likeliest contender is Mr Netanyahu, currently finance minister.

Others include the foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, and the deputy prime minister, Ehud Olmert.

Mr Netanyahu has reacted cautiously to the Gaza plan - which according to opinion polls is supported by about 70% of Israelis.

Mr Shalom has spoken out against it but Israeli political sources say any of the three contenders would probably go ahead with the withdrawal provided it had the firm backing of the Bush administration.

Mr Sharon's political future has been written off before, for example when an Israeli investigation criticised him for allowing Phalangist militias to enter the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon and kill more than 2,000 Palestinians when he was defence minister in 1982.

He lost the defence portfolio and was internationally condemned but he remained a potent political force.

Israelis re-elected him as prime minister because of his tough line against the Palestinian uprising and his promises to improve security - despite accusations that he funded his campaign illegally.

But this time, most analysts agree that Mr Sharon is in a worse predicament than ever before.

"This is a crisis of an unprecedented scale for Sharon and his family," said Professor Ezrahi.

Friday, March 26, 2004

Fri, 26 Mar 2004 21:14:16 GMT

So why was America the only country to vote AGAINST condemning Israel for its assassination of Sheikh Yassin?

THE WAY THEY VOTED

For: China, Russia, France, Angola, Chile, Pakistan, Spain, Algeria, Benin, Brazil, Philippines

Abstained: UK, Germany, Romania

Against: US

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Wed, 24 Mar 2004 03:47:34 GMT

HaHa, I found this very funny:

The assassination of Sheikh Yassin, although a great victory for the Israeli people, is being condemned by many nations. By killing this eighty-year old paralyzed man in a wheelchair, will it really kill the "spirit" of Hamas? !

Source: BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | World fears after Yassin killing

Sheikh Yassin's killing has been widely condemned

The killing of Sheikh Yassin has drawn widespread international condemnation.

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said it was not only against international law, but did nothing to help find a peaceful solution.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak described it as cowardly and King Abdullah of Jordan called it a crime.

In Brussels, European Union foreign ministers condemned Israel for an "extra-judicial killing", which they said undermined the rule of law.

The Bush administration said it was deeply troubled by the assassination, though it stopped well short of condemning it.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said it would not help the push towards peace in the region, while the White House appealed for restraint on all sides.

The BBC's Rob Watson says the killing seems to have put the US in an awkward spot as it tries to reconcile its fierce opposition to Hamas, which it regards as a terrorist organisation, with its disapproval of Israel's policy of targeted killings.

'Spiral of violence'

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw described the assassination of Sheikh Yassin as "unacceptable" and "unjustified".

Mr Straw said he did not think Israel would benefit from an attack on an old man in a wheelchair.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said such acts could only "feed the spiral of violence".

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said the killing was "very, very bad news" for the Middle East peace process.

In Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry said it was "deeply concerned" at the assassination, which it feared would cause "a new wave of violence".

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said he had cancelled a visit by Egyptian members of parliament to Jerusalem in protest at the assassination.

The delegation was to have taken part in celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Camp David peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

Mr Mubarak described the killing as "regrettable and cowardly".

When asked about its possible impact on the Middle East peace process, he said: "What peace process?"

Roadmap fears

Other leading figures in the Arab world have also criticised the killing of Sheikh Yassin.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said it was "state terrorism in its most hideous form", while Iraq's US-appointed Governing Council said it could escalate danger in Iraq.

One member of the Council, Muwaffaq al-Rubaiye, told the AFP news agency: "We condemn the killing, which will only serve to strengthen the justifications for terrorist acts in the world and does not serve peace."

Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah said: "Violence will increase now because violence always breeds violence."

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud said Israel was "mistaken" if it thought that by killing resistance fighters, it could kill the Palestinian cause.

Iran's ex-President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani warned that Sheikh Yassin's "martyrdom" would trigger an "even more serious struggle by the oppressed Palestinians against the Israeli terrorist occupiers and their US supporter".

The spiritual leader of Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Mehdi Akef, said Sheikh Yassin had fallen as a "martyr" in a "cowardly operation".

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Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Sunday, May 23, 2004

Saturday, May 15, 2004

Friday, April 30, 2004

Friday, April 16, 2004

Thursday, April 08, 2004

Thursday, April 01, 2004

Friday, March 26, 2004

Wednesday, March 24, 2004