The writer is an architect and an urban planner, and a member of Bimkom - Planners for Planning Rights
sabato 25 agosto 2007
Against all planning logic
Eli Elan, Haaretz, 22/08/07. The numbers leave little room for doubt: not recognizing Bedouin villages in the Negev means blatant discrimination. There are 500 to 5,000 Israeli citizens living in each unrecognized village, which, according to all planning criteria accepted elsewhere in the country, are official communities in every respect. The Central Bureau of Statistics defines a community as a place where residents live regularly, with at least 40 adults and a local council, outside other communities' jurisdictions and recognized by the Interior Ministry. Accordingly, the Bedouin villages meet all objective criteria, and their official recognition is being blocked only by the government's capriciousness. Jewish communities that fit the description of these unrecognized villages receive recognition as a rule. Some Jewish communities that were established privately - without planning procedures or approval - were recognized after the fact. In addition, residents of existing Jewish communities were never requested to move to a neighboring community or city, while the state has asked Bedouin residents of the unofficial communities to move to recognized towns, such as Rahat. The ongoing discrimination against the Bedouin population of these unrecognized villages is a mark of shame on all of us. The government must recognize them immediately; the planning authorities must cease treating these villages as if they were transparent. They must integrate them in all national, district and regional plans, and provide the residents with such basic rights as shelter, infrastructure and the right to municipal representation.
PCHR Calls for an Immediate Investigation into the Attacks on Journalists and Demonstrators in Gaza
PCHR Press Release | |
Ref: 103/2007
Date: 25 August 2007
Time: 11:30
PCHR strongly condemns the attacks perpetrated by the Executive Force yesterday against journalists covering a peaceful demonstration organized by Fatah supporters in
The Center’s preliminary investigation indicates that thousands of Fatah supporters held Friday Prayers on 24 August 2007 in the “Unknown Soldier” Park in Gaza City to protest what they described as the “incitement and politicization of Friday Sermons in Mosques.” After the end of prayers at about 13:30, a demonstration consisting of thousands of Fatah supporters headed towards
- Khaled Bolbol from
- Mustafa El-Bayed from Russian TV.
- Mohammad El-Baba from AFP.
- Ibrahim Dahman from French TV.
The journalists were held for one hour before their release.
Khaled Bolbol informed PCHR’s fieldworker that Hamas supporters near Abu Khadra Mosque, close to Gaza Central Prison, beat and cursed him after learning that he worked for Palestine TV. He said that 4 members of the Executive Force traveling in a jeep detained him and took him to Gaza Central Prison. He stated that they beat him all over his body on the way to the prison.
Mustafa El-Bayed stated that he was near Gaza Central Prison with Mohammad El-Baba and Ibrahim Dahman, and were covering the attacks by the Executive Force on the demonstrators and journalists after stones were thrown at them. He said that the Force members chased them. The 3 journalists tried to flee; but a car intercepted them; and 4 civilian-clothed persons detained them and took them to Gaza Central Prison. El-Bayed’s camera was damaged on the way to the prison.
Abed Rabbo Shana’a, a photographer from Reuters, gave the following testimony to PCHR, “I was doing my job and covering the events near
Wa’el El-Dahdouh, Al-Jazeera Correspondent, gave the following statement to PCHR, “I saw members of the Executive Force chasing the photographer Abed Rabbo Shana’a. The caught him. I got out of the car from which I was covering the events. I tried to intervene and told the Force members that Shan’a was a journalist; and that the issue can be resolved in the office. However they refused. I told them to call the Executive Force press office; but they did not respond. They were determined to confiscate Shana’a’s camera. The raised their guns and fired in the air, causing Shana’a to flee without the Force confiscating the camera.”
As soon as news of the journalists’ detention was broadcast on Palestine TV, some of the detained journalists stated that the Executive Force Commander in Gaza Central Prison offered to have Al-Aqsa TV, which is pro-Hamas, to broadcast a denial of their detention. However the journalists refused.
PCHR is concerned over the recurrence of attacks on freedom of expression, freedom of journalism, and the right to peaceful assembly, and:
- Affirms that the right to peaceful assembly, including demonstrations, is protected by the Palestinian Basic Law and the Law of General Assemblies No. 12 for the Year 1998, conditional that these assemblies are peaceful.
- Calls for investigating the attacks on journalists and detaining 4 of them and preventing them from doing their work; and calls for taking legal action against the perpetrators.
- Affirms the need to provide protection to journalists and media outlets, and to take the necessary steps to ensure their freedom in conducting their work.
Public Document
**************************************
For more information please call PCHR office in
PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
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Israel must do more for peace process, urges UK envoy
Haroon Siddique, Guardian, 24/08/07. The man appointed by Gordon Brown to be the UK's Middle East envoy has warned that Israel must do more to improve the lives of the Palestinian people, or else attempts to revive the peace process could fail. "There have been some moves - the release of 200 prisoners, the tax revenues once more flowing to the
Mahmoud Abbas needs new assurances from Israel, according to Michael Williams.
Photograph: Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty images
Palestinian authority - but this is nowhere near enough," said Mr Williams. "On key issues like the outposts, let alone the settlements in the West Bank, and on the hundreds of checkpoints we've not seen significant or even any real moves by the Israelis so far."
Michael Williams, who is currently the UN secretary general's special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, spoke out ahead of taking up his new role next month.
A conference aimed at getting the peace process back on track is scheduled to take place in the US in November.
But Mr Williams suggested that the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, would have to be given assurances of positive Israeli intentions before he would attend.
"For President Abbas to go to the States for this meeting, he will need some clear demonstrations of Israeli support for a continuing peace process," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Mr Williams, who recently met with the Palestinian administration, said more could have been done "to sustain the momentum behind President Abbas".
"There have been some moves - the release of 200 prisoners, the tax revenues once more flowing to the Palestinian authority - but this is nowhere near enough," said Mr Williams.
"On key issues like the outposts, let alone the settlements in the West Bank, and on the hundreds of checkpoints we've not seen significant or even any real moves by the Israelis so far."
Mr Williams also said the UK government would continue relations with the Iranian and Syrian administrations, despite the US president George Bush's policy of limited communication with them amid allegations they have been interfering in the Iraq conflict.
"I think it's the view of the prime minister and the foreign secretary that the US has to engage with countries like Iran and Syria," he said.
He stressed the importance of resolving the "problems" and "threats" in the Middle East and said it was imperative that the British government had an "active foreign policy" in the region.
He said: "No region poses such a substantial threat to international peace and security greater than the Middle East, there's no doubt about that."
venerdì 24 agosto 2007
In the dead of night
Saleh Al-Naami, Al-Ahram Weekly, 23-29/08/07. In recent days, nearly round-the-clock power cuts have turned people's lives in Gaza into a nightmare after the European Union cut off funding for fuel shipments a week ago before it decided to reverse this decision yesterday morning. Since electricity powers so many vital services, the availability of frozen foods is probably the least of their problems. There is virtual unanimity in Gaza that the government of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is responsible for this state of affairs, no matter how much that government attempts to put the blame on Hamas.
A Palestinian shopkeeper sets up a gas-powered
lamp after the electricity supply was cut off in Gaza
A Palestinian shopkeeper sets up a gas-powered
lamp after the electricity supply was cut off in Gaza
(photo: AFP)
Even the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), a close ally of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and a vehement critic of Hamas's bid to resolve its rivalry with the ruling Fatah movement militarily, has had little choice but to agree that the Fayyad government has persuaded the European Union to cease its funding for the fuel needed to operate Gaza's power station in order to turn the people of Gaza against Hamas.
Not long after statements by Fayyad's minister of information to the effect that Hamas planned to levy a tax on Palestinians' electricity consumption in order to fund its operations, the EU took the bait.
EU Commission spokeswoman Antonia Mochan announced that in the light of information that Hamas intended to tax electricity consumption in Gaza, the EU stopped paying for the fuel that helps produce the electricity.
"We are ready to resume payment of these fuel deliveries within hours once we have assurances these taxes will not be introduced," she said.
A Palestinian engineer works at the Gaza Strip's only power station, in Nusseirat. (Hatem Omar, Maan Images)
"Rather, they are part of the intensification of the siege of Gaza, which aims to turn Palestinian public opinion against Hamas," Youssef said.
The conflicting reports issuing from the Fayyad government, and the subsequent exposure of the falsity of these reports, leave little doubt that this is the case.
Last week, a Fayyad government spokesperson claimed that the Israeli army had informed his government that it would not permit the shipment of fuel oil across the border into Gaza.
On Sunday, the Israeli Southern Command's civil liaison bureau announced that the Fayyad government had omitted the fuel oil used to operate the Gaza power station from its requests for fuel, but that the moment that it asked for the fuel deliveries to resume the Israeli army would lift the barriers to let them through.
It was only then that the Fayyad government, reeling from the shock of this embarrassing revelation, attempted to cast the blame for the halt in fuel oil deliveries on Hamas, on the grounds of Hamas's alleged plan to tax electricity consumption.
As though to aggravate the embarrassment of Abbas and his advisors, Israeli Channel 2 political commentator Amnon Abramovich, regarded as one of the most reliable Israeli journalists, revealed portions of the minutes of the last meeting between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jericho.
At the meeting, the Israeli prime minister had cautioned the Palestinian president that, "you must realise that if you sit and talk with Hamas again we won't be able to continue working with you."
According to Abramovich, Abbas was desperate to reassure Olmert of his commitment to remaining tough on Hamas. He listed the actions he had already taken, such as banning the organisation's activities, rounding up and detaining activists, and closing down its offices in the West Bank.
He also insisted that he was doing everything possible to incite Palestinian opinion in Gaza against Hamas, one measure towards which would be to cut off the electricity in that sector.
Further corroboration of this intent is to be found on several Palestinian Internet news sites, which quote Saadi Al-Karnaz, secretary-general of the Fayyad cabinet, as saying that the electricity in Gaza would be cut off in order to drive Palestinians there to rebel against Hamas.
The Abbas/Fayyad camp must be growing desperate indeed if it feels it must resort to such a form of collective punishment in order to vent its frustration at Hamas's ability to secure and consolidate its hold over Gaza.
More Than 200 Bnei Menashe Arriving in Israel
The Bnei Menashe claim descent from the tribe of Menashe, one of the ten tribes exiled from the Land of Israel by the Assyrian empire over 2,700 years ago. They reside primarily in the two Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur, along the border with Burma and Bangladesh. In recent years alone, over 800 members of the community have made Aliyah, thanks largely to the efforts of Shavei Israel, a Jerusalem-based group that reaches out and assists “lost Jews” seeking to return to the Jewish people. They reside mainly in Kiryat Arba, south of Jerusalem, and Beit El and Ofrah, north of Jerusalem.
Until six years ago, the Interior Ministry allowed 100 Bnei Menashe to come to Israel as tourists annually. They then converted here and became Israelis, a policy that was ended by then-Interior Minister Avraham Poraz (Shinui), who reportedly preferred to have no olim (immigrants) from the group rather than increase the number of G-d fearing Jews in Israel who support Israel's right to sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.
To overcome the Poraz's ban on immigration of this lost Jewish community, the Israeli Chief Rabbinate agreed to send a Beit Din
Kiryat Arba settlers
(rabbinical court) on its behalf to India to formally convert the Bnei Menashe to Judaism there. More than 200 Bnei Menashe were converted by the Beit Din and arrived in Israel at the end of 2006 as new immigrants. But then the Indian authorities forced Shavei Israel to stop the program because conversion is against the law in India. Hence the need for the new system of entry on tourist visas and conversion in Israel.
The Mayor of Pardess Chana, Chaim Ga'ash, has been less than enthusiastic about the new arrivals, however. Ga'ash said that the arrival of the Bnei Menashe had not been coordinated with him or with the Ministry of Absorption of Aliya. Ga'ash has even gone so far as to raise the possibility that the Bnei Menashe are in fact "foreign workers in disguise," because as he put it, "it makes no sense that a group of immigrants would arrive in Israel secretly.
Too many authorities
Amira Hass, Haaretz, 23.08.07. Not only are some 1.5 million Gaza residents living like prisoners in the largest jail in the world, but they are also subjected to daily attacks by Israel that leave them with more dead to bury. Two children were killed on Tuesday, and not only those suspected of firing Qassam rockets. And if there's no shelling, there's a short-term incursion, and dozens of people are arrested and undergo a day-long campaign of humiliation.
There are also murders by fellow Palestinians, though fewer than during Fatah rule. But the vendetta cycle continues to be a threat. Fatah members were arrested and tortured, and a Fatah supporter's wedding was raided by Hamas gunmen.
The economy has been completely paralyzed for two months now. Tens of thousands of private-sector workers have not made even NIS 100 in the past two months. There is zero export because the Karni crossing is closed. This situation will continue for a long time if Israel's attitude toward Hamas remains as it is.
When replacement parts for the ruined purification facility pumps are not brought into Gaza, another sewage flooding disaster is liable to occur. The electricity was cut off because the European Union is concerned that Hamas is diverting money intended for the private power station in Gaza and isn't paying for the fuel. Heaps of garbage are piled up in the crowded areas of Khan Yunis, Gaza City and Jabalya. Residents burn the garbage when it isn't removed, producing clouds of foul-smelling toxins.
The municipal workers haven't been paid since January, and are on strike. On the other hand, there are tens of thousands of police officers and public-sector workers who aren't showing up for work on orders from the government in Ramallah, but are still receiving their meager paychecks. There are people who work but aren't getting paid because they were appointed during the Hamas period. Someone informs on his neighbor, who's continuing to work as a police officer, and Ramallah immediately fires the policeman. The informing and the fear of it are breaking this society apart from the inside.
The big fear now is what will happen when the school year begins. The Ramallah government has given an order that the weekend is Friday and Saturday, but the Gaza government decided that it's Thursday and Friday. Anyone who works on Saturday has his salary frozen, and anyone who works on Thursday fears that Hamas will harass him. In most government ministries, the solution is a three-day weekend. But schools can't do that, and some fear that the battle between Hamas and Fatah will express itself in new ways, on the backs of the students and teachers.
The residents of Gaza are torn between too many authorities: Israel, the occupier that shirks its obligation as an occupying power; the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, which is abandoning its citizens while continuing to try to ostracize the majority movement and make it fail; Hamas, which boasted about "liberating" Gaza and uses Qassam fire and declarations of "resistance" to escape its political and economic failures; the donor states, which use (generous) donations to cover up political powerlessness; and the United States, which is leading the boycott campaign and supports Israel.
This multiplicity is confusing, paralyzing. It's no wonder that in the meantime, Gaza is getting ready for the next blow.
There are also murders by fellow Palestinians, though fewer than during Fatah rule. But the vendetta cycle continues to be a threat. Fatah members were arrested and tortured, and a Fatah supporter's wedding was raided by Hamas gunmen.
The economy has been completely paralyzed for two months now. Tens of thousands of private-sector workers have not made even NIS 100 in the past two months. There is zero export because the Karni crossing is closed. This situation will continue for a long time if Israel's attitude toward Hamas remains as it is.
When replacement parts for the ruined purification facility pumps are not brought into Gaza, another sewage flooding disaster is liable to occur. The electricity was cut off because the European Union is concerned that Hamas is diverting money intended for the private power station in Gaza and isn't paying for the fuel. Heaps of garbage are piled up in the crowded areas of Khan Yunis, Gaza City and Jabalya. Residents burn the garbage when it isn't removed, producing clouds of foul-smelling toxins.
The municipal workers haven't been paid since January, and are on strike. On the other hand, there are tens of thousands of police officers and public-sector workers who aren't showing up for work on orders from the government in Ramallah, but are still receiving their meager paychecks. There are people who work but aren't getting paid because they were appointed during the Hamas period. Someone informs on his neighbor, who's continuing to work as a police officer, and Ramallah immediately fires the policeman. The informing and the fear of it are breaking this society apart from the inside.
The big fear now is what will happen when the school year begins. The Ramallah government has given an order that the weekend is Friday and Saturday, but the Gaza government decided that it's Thursday and Friday. Anyone who works on Saturday has his salary frozen, and anyone who works on Thursday fears that Hamas will harass him. In most government ministries, the solution is a three-day weekend. But schools can't do that, and some fear that the battle between Hamas and Fatah will express itself in new ways, on the backs of the students and teachers.
The residents of Gaza are torn between too many authorities: Israel, the occupier that shirks its obligation as an occupying power; the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, which is abandoning its citizens while continuing to try to ostracize the majority movement and make it fail; Hamas, which boasted about "liberating" Gaza and uses Qassam fire and declarations of "resistance" to escape its political and economic failures; the donor states, which use (generous) donations to cover up political powerlessness; and the United States, which is leading the boycott campaign and supports Israel.
This multiplicity is confusing, paralyzing. It's no wonder that in the meantime, Gaza is getting ready for the next blow.
Israeli GDP rises 6.6% in first half of 2007
Ynet, 23.08.07. Report on growth of Israeli economy presented by Central Bureau of Statistics exceeds Treasury's predictions
Israel's gross domestic product rate expanded by 6.6% in the first half of 2007, following a 3.4% rise in the previous half and a 6.0% rise in the first half of 2006, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported on Wednesday.
This growth rate is higher than the predictions of the Treasury and the Bank of Israel, which estimated a 5% and 5.1% rise respectively.
The GDP rise in the first half of 2007 reflects an increase in export of services and goods, investments in fixed assets, and expenditure on private and public consumption.
Expenditure on private consumption rose by 7.5% in the first half of 2007, in a continuing rise from 5.6% in the second half of 2006. Expenditure on private consumption per capita rose by 5.7%, in a continuing rise from 3.7% from the second half of 2006.
This rise expresses a sharp 34.6% rise in household capital expenses such as vehicles, furniture, and household equipment. Current expenses such as food, drink, clothing, gas, electricity and various services such as health and education rose by 3.2%.
Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On expressed satisfaction with the results of the first half of 2007 and pointed out that they were the result of the government's economic policies.
Bar-On said the government should continue to maintain its fiscal discipline and stick to its budget, while making sure to pursue its goals, including the structural economic reforms presented in the 2008 budget.
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
PCHR http://www.pchrgaza.org | |
| Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied | No. 33/2007 16 - 22 August 2007 |
| Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
Summary Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (16 – 22 August 2007): Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 16 Palestinians, including 3 children, and wounded 18 others, including 2 children, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed 13 Palestinians, including two children. Ten of the victims were extra-judicially-executed by IOF in less than 48 hours. On 18 August 2007, IOF shot dead a Palestinian civilian and arrested two others when they attempted to cross the border into Israel to search for jobs. On 20 August 2007, IOF extra-judicially 4 members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas) and two members of the Executive Force of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior in al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. On 21 August 2007, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at 3 armed Palestinians in al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis. Soon after, an IOF infantry unit moved into the area and opened fire. The three Palestinian were killed. On 22 August 2007, IOF extra-judicially executed a member of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades and wounded another one in the east of Gaza City. Since the beginning of the current Palestinian Intifada, 655 Palestinians, including 221 civilian bystanders, have been extra-judicially executed by IOF. The victims have included 73 children. On 22 August 2007, two Palestinian children were killed, when IOF fired a missile at them while they were playing near a launcher of home-made rockets. Additionally, during the reporting period, 6 Palestinians, including two children, were wounded by IOF gunfire in the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday morning, IOF shelled fishing boats and arrested 8 Palestinian fishermen in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. In the west Bank, IOF killed 3 Palestinians, including a child. On 16 August 2007, IOF shot dead a Palestinian child during an incursion into Kufor Dan village, west of Jenin. A Palestinian resistance activist was killed by IOF during clashes that followed the child’s death. On 21 August 2007, a Palestinian resistance activist was killed in armed clashes with IOF during their incursion into ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp, west of Nablus. During the reporting period, 11 Palestinian civilians were wounded by the IOF gunfire in the West Bank. In addition, on 17 August 2007, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and 4 journalists suffered from tear gas inhalation when IOF used force against a peaceful demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders against the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah. Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 30 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those incursions, IOF arrested 44 Palestinian civilians, including a child. Thus, the number of Palestinians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of this year has mounted to 1,803. In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted two incursions into al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip and ‘Abasan village in the southern Gaza Strip. During these incursions, 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded. Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Gaza Strip IOF have imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip. They have closed its border crossings as a form of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians. IOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point, even though they do not directly control it. They have prevented European observers working at the crossing point form reaching it. IOF had already closed Rafah International Crossing Point following an armed attack against an IOF military post in Kerem Shalom area, southeast of Rafah, on 25 June 2006. The crossing point had been partially reopened for short, sporadic periods to allow few numbers of Palestinian to travel through it. The crossing point has been completely closed since Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Palestinian security forces from the crossing point. There are approximately 6,000 Palestinians held at the Egyptian side of the border awaiting to return to their homes in the Gaza Strip. Most of them have run out of money and are living on assistance. In addition, 19 of them have died in Egypt. The bodies were returned to Gaza through the Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. In addition, thousands of travelers have allowed to return to the Gaza Strip through al-Ojah crossing, 70 kilometers south of Rafah. From there, they were transported to Erez Checkpoint to enter the Gaza Strip. IOF have also closed commercial crossings, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. IOF have also continued to close Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have been prevented from traveling through this crossing. West Bank IOF have tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. They have isolated Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF also erected more checkpoints on the main roads and intersections in the West Bank. Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (16 - 22 August 2007) The full report is available online at: html format: http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2007/23-08-2007.htm pdf format: http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2007/pdf/Weekly%20Report%2033.pdf | |
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Gaza, l´Ue torna a pagare l´energia
Marco Ansaldo, la Repubblica, 22.08.07. GERUSALEMME - Al buio da giorni. Con le provviste in frigo ormai scadute, e il latte per i bambini andato a male. Ma da oggi la corrente elettrica ritorna. A Gaza l´hanno chiamata «la guerra della luce». Per alcune notti ha lasciato un milione e mezzo di persone a brancolare nelle tenebre, con il ritorno dei lumi a petrolio nelle case e le strade illuminate da riverberi sempre più fiochi.
Ma ieri l´Unione europea ha deciso di cedere nel braccio di ferro che la opponeva ad Hamas, il movimento leader della Striscia, scegliendo di riprendere le forniture di gasolio per la centrale elettrica locale. Marcia indietro, dunque. Anche se il sospetto che una parte delle entrate provenienti dal pagamento delle bollette finisca nelle tasche di Hamas rimane. A Gerusalemme un portavoce della Commissione europea ha annunciato che l´erogazione ripartirà «in maniera provvisoria». Bruxelles vuole infatti attendere i risultati dei controlli contabili, per capire dove finiscono i soldi raccolti nella Striscia governata dal giugno scorso con la forza dal movimento islamico che ha cacciato le forze palestinesi fedeli al presidente Abu Mazen.
Hamas si dice soddisfatta del provvedimento. «La Ue - ha dichiarato il suo portavoce Fawzi Barhum - ha capito adesso che non abbiamo nessuna colpa». E il primo ministro Ismail Haniyeh ha detto di accogliere «con piacere una commissione di inchiesta indipendente, per accertare che Hamas non è coinvolta in affari riguardanti l´energia elettrica». Ma è soprattutto la gente a tirare un respiro di sollievo. Da domenica scorsa in tutta la Striscia il black-out era pressochè totale. C´era chi, come nei negozi, poteva far funzionare i generatori privati per impedire il deperimento degli alimenti. Il resto della popolazione doveva però far ricorso a torce con le pile, lampade a gas e a petrolio.
Il tutto nell´ennesima giornata di sangue, con duri scontri fra le milizie palestinesi e l´esercito israeliano. A Beit Hanun una cannonata sparata dai militari dello Stato ebraico, e finita fuori bersaglio, ha ucciso due bambini. Secondo un portavoce delle Forze armate il colpo d´artiglieria era stato esploso contro un´unità di miliziani, forse della Jihad islamica, che avevano appena lanciato razzi Qassam sulla città israeliana di Sderot, situata poco oltre il confine. «Chiunque si trovi nei pressi di uomini armati - ha detto il militare rispondendo alla domanda perché fossero rimasti uccisi degli innocenti - è in pericolo». La cannonata ha quindi centrato per errore il gruppo di bambini intenti a giocare. A morire sono stati due cugini: Abed Ashur di 12 anni e Fadil Mansour di 10. I giornalisti hanno potuto vedere all´ospedale di Jabaliya i loro corpi, sventrati dai proiettili d´artiglieria.
Uno degli ordigni lanciati dalla Striscia aveva centrato un asilo di Sderot, città dove la tensione psicologica di una popolazione da anni sottoposta agli attacchi dal cielo è messa a durissima prova. Per fortuna l´edificio, in questa stagione di vacanze estive, era vuoto, e nello scoppio è rimasta lievemente ferita solo una donna che abita vicino. Un secondo razzo era caduto sulla strada nazionale, esplodendo poco lontano da un distributore di carburante e sfiorando quindi una strage.
Nei giorni scorsi le autorità di Sderot non sono riuscite a convincere il governo a rafforzare la protezione esterna delle scuole, ora che l´anno scolastico ha inizio. Molti genitori hanno espresso una profonda preoccupazione in previsione di lasciare i propri figli in aree per loro non difese a sufficienza. «Prima o poi questi razzi uccideranno qualcuno - denuncia il sindaco - è esattamente questo lo scopo per cui ci vengono tirati addosso».
All´interno della Striscia, mentre si trovavano a soli 600 metri dalla rete metallica che delimita la frontiera, ieri mattina in un raid aereo erano stati uccisi altri tre miliziani della Jihad Islamica, dopo i tre eliminati lunedì mentre erano a bordo di un´auto. Per l´esercito, in tutti e due i casi, gli uomini erano armati con fucili di precisione e «si preparavano a colpire obiettivi israeliani».
Ma ieri l´Unione europea ha deciso di cedere nel braccio di ferro che la opponeva ad Hamas, il movimento leader della Striscia, scegliendo di riprendere le forniture di gasolio per la centrale elettrica locale. Marcia indietro, dunque. Anche se il sospetto che una parte delle entrate provenienti dal pagamento delle bollette finisca nelle tasche di Hamas rimane. A Gerusalemme un portavoce della Commissione europea ha annunciato che l´erogazione ripartirà «in maniera provvisoria». Bruxelles vuole infatti attendere i risultati dei controlli contabili, per capire dove finiscono i soldi raccolti nella Striscia governata dal giugno scorso con la forza dal movimento islamico che ha cacciato le forze palestinesi fedeli al presidente Abu Mazen.
Hamas si dice soddisfatta del provvedimento. «La Ue - ha dichiarato il suo portavoce Fawzi Barhum - ha capito adesso che non abbiamo nessuna colpa». E il primo ministro Ismail Haniyeh ha detto di accogliere «con piacere una commissione di inchiesta indipendente, per accertare che Hamas non è coinvolta in affari riguardanti l´energia elettrica». Ma è soprattutto la gente a tirare un respiro di sollievo. Da domenica scorsa in tutta la Striscia il black-out era pressochè totale. C´era chi, come nei negozi, poteva far funzionare i generatori privati per impedire il deperimento degli alimenti. Il resto della popolazione doveva però far ricorso a torce con le pile, lampade a gas e a petrolio.
Il tutto nell´ennesima giornata di sangue, con duri scontri fra le milizie palestinesi e l´esercito israeliano. A Beit Hanun una cannonata sparata dai militari dello Stato ebraico, e finita fuori bersaglio, ha ucciso due bambini. Secondo un portavoce delle Forze armate il colpo d´artiglieria era stato esploso contro un´unità di miliziani, forse della Jihad islamica, che avevano appena lanciato razzi Qassam sulla città israeliana di Sderot, situata poco oltre il confine. «Chiunque si trovi nei pressi di uomini armati - ha detto il militare rispondendo alla domanda perché fossero rimasti uccisi degli innocenti - è in pericolo». La cannonata ha quindi centrato per errore il gruppo di bambini intenti a giocare. A morire sono stati due cugini: Abed Ashur di 12 anni e Fadil Mansour di 10. I giornalisti hanno potuto vedere all´ospedale di Jabaliya i loro corpi, sventrati dai proiettili d´artiglieria.
Uno degli ordigni lanciati dalla Striscia aveva centrato un asilo di Sderot, città dove la tensione psicologica di una popolazione da anni sottoposta agli attacchi dal cielo è messa a durissima prova. Per fortuna l´edificio, in questa stagione di vacanze estive, era vuoto, e nello scoppio è rimasta lievemente ferita solo una donna che abita vicino. Un secondo razzo era caduto sulla strada nazionale, esplodendo poco lontano da un distributore di carburante e sfiorando quindi una strage.
Nei giorni scorsi le autorità di Sderot non sono riuscite a convincere il governo a rafforzare la protezione esterna delle scuole, ora che l´anno scolastico ha inizio. Molti genitori hanno espresso una profonda preoccupazione in previsione di lasciare i propri figli in aree per loro non difese a sufficienza. «Prima o poi questi razzi uccideranno qualcuno - denuncia il sindaco - è esattamente questo lo scopo per cui ci vengono tirati addosso».
All´interno della Striscia, mentre si trovavano a soli 600 metri dalla rete metallica che delimita la frontiera, ieri mattina in un raid aereo erano stati uccisi altri tre miliziani della Jihad Islamica, dopo i tre eliminati lunedì mentre erano a bordo di un´auto. Per l´esercito, in tutti e due i casi, gli uomini erano armati con fucili di precisione e «si preparavano a colpire obiettivi israeliani».
Public opinion poll gives Abbas slight popularity over Haniyeh
Jerusalem - Ma'an - 22.08.07. The results of a public opinion poll conducted by the Jerusalem Media & Communications Center have been revealed:
* If elections were to happen today, 20.6% would vote for President Abbas while 18.8% would vote for Ismaeel Hanieh
* As part of the final status solution, 93.5% oppose giving Israel any jurisdiction over the area of al-Aqsa Mosque and 81.9% oppose allowing Israel to keep the major settlement blocs in the West Bank, while 67.2% oppose declaring parts of East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state
* 68.5% support the return of all refugees to their original homeland
* Dialogue between the Palestinian factions is the most preferred solution to end the current internal crisis
--------------------------------------------
In the first public opinion poll conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Center (JMCC) following Hamas' control over the Gaza Strip, results show that a majority of the Palestinian public (46.7%) generally believes that the situation in the Gaza Strip worsened following Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip, compared with a ratio of 27.1% who think that the situation has improved.
On the other hand, more people (35.4%) think that the situation in the West Bank improved after the formation of Fayyad's government, compared with 27.9% who think the situation worsened after the formation of Fayyad's government.
Many of the respondents in the Gaza Strip (43.6%) said their feeling of security since Hamas' control has improved when compared with the past, compared with 31.5% who believe the opposite.
In general, the ratio of those who blame Hamas for the internal fighting in Gaza is higher (43.5%) than those who blame the Fatah movement for the internal fighting (28.4%), while some 17.5% blame both Fatah and Hamas.
A large number of respondents (38.3%) agreed that "signs of chaos" and "absence of the rule of the law" decreased during the new government of Fayyad, compared with 23.0% who think that "security chaos" has increased. The remaining ratio (34.4%) believes they have not noticed any change in the security conditions under the new government of Fayyad.
When asked a specific and direct question comparing the performance of the Fayyad government in the West Bank and the discharged government of Haniyeh in the Gaza Strip, 46.5% said that the performance of Fayyad's government is better, and only 24.4% said the performance of Fayyad's government is worse, than Haniyeh's government, while 22.8% don't see any difference between the two governments.
A notable majority of the respondents (67.9%) do not expect the replication of Gaza's internal fighting in the West Bank and, in the same manner, a large number of respondents (79.6%) do not expect to see Hamas take control the West Bank as they have in the Gaza Strip.
On the public assessment of Hamas strength in the West Bank, a majority (77.2%) said the strength of Hamas in Gaza is greater than in the West Bank while only 5.1% saw the opposite. Some 12.3% said Hamas' strength in the West Bank is the same as it is in the Gaza Strip.
With regards to the detailed solutions on ending the current split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, 27.9% believe that dialogue between the factions is the solution, while 26.1% believe that the solution lies in returning to the National Unity Government. Some 23.5% view that the solution lies in conducting early elections. Only 16.9% believe that the solution lies in dissolving Haniyeh's government and having Fayyad's government assume control over Gaza.
With regard to the expectations of the public over a potential agreement, 46.8% expect the return to the formation of a National Unity Government, compared with 43.8%, who don't expect this to happen.
President Mahmoud Abbas still enjoys the largest chance of winning the presidential elections if they happened today. A ratio of 20.6% said they would vote for President Abbas, while 18.8% said they would vote for Ismail Haniyeh, and 16.6% said they would vote for Marwan al-Barghouthi.
It is noted that Abbas has made slight gains in popularity in Gaza (23.9%), over than the West Bank (18.7%), while there is a major gap between the popularity of Haniyeh in the Gaza Strip (26.1%) and in the West Bank (14.5%). Generally speaking, there is a slight improvement in the confidence in Abbas (18.3%), compared with 12.4% last March and 13.0% in June 2006.
There is a slight decrease in confidence in Hanieh (16.2%), compared with 19.5% last March and 18.2% in June 2006. With regard to trust in the factions, Hamas suffered a setback in popular trust (21.6%) compared with 25.2% last March and 28.9% in June 2006. On the other hand, the Fatah Movement gained popular trust (34.4%) compared with 31.4% last March and 33.7% in June 2006.
At the level of the general Palestinian public position regarding external political negotiations, half of the respondents support the idea of reaching a Declaration of Principles and the other half rejects this idea.
Regarding exchange of land with Israel in the context of final-status negotiations, a notable majority (61.4%) opposes the idea, while some 38% support the idea. In a more clear referendum, an overwhelming majority of the Palestinian respondents (81.9%) oppose allowing Israel to keep control over settlements in the West Bank in return for Israeli land in the Negev, while only 17.4% agree to this.
The most salient political position was over the issue of the Palestinian refugees' cause, as a notable majority (68.5%) said the resolution of this issue is "through the return of the refugees to their homes", while a ratio of 12.8% said that the solution lies in the return of the refugees to a future Palestinian state. Some 6.7% support a solution based on compensation.
* If elections were to happen today, 20.6% would vote for President Abbas while 18.8% would vote for Ismaeel Hanieh
* As part of the final status solution, 93.5% oppose giving Israel any jurisdiction over the area of al-Aqsa Mosque and 81.9% oppose allowing Israel to keep the major settlement blocs in the West Bank, while 67.2% oppose declaring parts of East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state
* 68.5% support the return of all refugees to their original homeland
* Dialogue between the Palestinian factions is the most preferred solution to end the current internal crisis
--------------------------------------------
In the first public opinion poll conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Center (JMCC) following Hamas' control over the Gaza Strip, results show that a majority of the Palestinian public (46.7%) generally believes that the situation in the Gaza Strip worsened following Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip, compared with a ratio of 27.1% who think that the situation has improved.
On the other hand, more people (35.4%) think that the situation in the West Bank improved after the formation of Fayyad's government, compared with 27.9% who think the situation worsened after the formation of Fayyad's government.
Many of the respondents in the Gaza Strip (43.6%) said their feeling of security since Hamas' control has improved when compared with the past, compared with 31.5% who believe the opposite.
In general, the ratio of those who blame Hamas for the internal fighting in Gaza is higher (43.5%) than those who blame the Fatah movement for the internal fighting (28.4%), while some 17.5% blame both Fatah and Hamas.
A large number of respondents (38.3%) agreed that "signs of chaos" and "absence of the rule of the law" decreased during the new government of Fayyad, compared with 23.0% who think that "security chaos" has increased. The remaining ratio (34.4%) believes they have not noticed any change in the security conditions under the new government of Fayyad.
When asked a specific and direct question comparing the performance of the Fayyad government in the West Bank and the discharged government of Haniyeh in the Gaza Strip, 46.5% said that the performance of Fayyad's government is better, and only 24.4% said the performance of Fayyad's government is worse, than Haniyeh's government, while 22.8% don't see any difference between the two governments.
A notable majority of the respondents (67.9%) do not expect the replication of Gaza's internal fighting in the West Bank and, in the same manner, a large number of respondents (79.6%) do not expect to see Hamas take control the West Bank as they have in the Gaza Strip.
On the public assessment of Hamas strength in the West Bank, a majority (77.2%) said the strength of Hamas in Gaza is greater than in the West Bank while only 5.1% saw the opposite. Some 12.3% said Hamas' strength in the West Bank is the same as it is in the Gaza Strip.
With regards to the detailed solutions on ending the current split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, 27.9% believe that dialogue between the factions is the solution, while 26.1% believe that the solution lies in returning to the National Unity Government. Some 23.5% view that the solution lies in conducting early elections. Only 16.9% believe that the solution lies in dissolving Haniyeh's government and having Fayyad's government assume control over Gaza.
With regard to the expectations of the public over a potential agreement, 46.8% expect the return to the formation of a National Unity Government, compared with 43.8%, who don't expect this to happen.
President Mahmoud Abbas still enjoys the largest chance of winning the presidential elections if they happened today. A ratio of 20.6% said they would vote for President Abbas, while 18.8% said they would vote for Ismail Haniyeh, and 16.6% said they would vote for Marwan al-Barghouthi.
It is noted that Abbas has made slight gains in popularity in Gaza (23.9%), over than the West Bank (18.7%), while there is a major gap between the popularity of Haniyeh in the Gaza Strip (26.1%) and in the West Bank (14.5%). Generally speaking, there is a slight improvement in the confidence in Abbas (18.3%), compared with 12.4% last March and 13.0% in June 2006.
There is a slight decrease in confidence in Hanieh (16.2%), compared with 19.5% last March and 18.2% in June 2006. With regard to trust in the factions, Hamas suffered a setback in popular trust (21.6%) compared with 25.2% last March and 28.9% in June 2006. On the other hand, the Fatah Movement gained popular trust (34.4%) compared with 31.4% last March and 33.7% in June 2006.
At the level of the general Palestinian public position regarding external political negotiations, half of the respondents support the idea of reaching a Declaration of Principles and the other half rejects this idea.
Regarding exchange of land with Israel in the context of final-status negotiations, a notable majority (61.4%) opposes the idea, while some 38% support the idea. In a more clear referendum, an overwhelming majority of the Palestinian respondents (81.9%) oppose allowing Israel to keep control over settlements in the West Bank in return for Israeli land in the Negev, while only 17.4% agree to this.
The most salient political position was over the issue of the Palestinian refugees' cause, as a notable majority (68.5%) said the resolution of this issue is "through the return of the refugees to their homes", while a ratio of 12.8% said that the solution lies in the return of the refugees to a future Palestinian state. Some 6.7% support a solution based on compensation.
giovedì 23 agosto 2007
Israel Told to Ease Palestinian Movement
JERUSALEM -- Israel must provide more freedom of movement in the West Bank and open crossings into Gaza to avoid driving even more Palestinians into poverty after Hamas seized the coastal strip two months ago, the United Nations Mideast envoy said Wednesday.
Israel's decision to shut Gaza's borders to all but humanitarian aid in the wake of Hamas' takeover is threatening an already badly damaged economy _ and "this shows every sign of getting worse," Michael Williams said in an interview with The Associated Press and two other media outlets.
"We do not see how that can be changed short of opening additional crossing points, particularly Karni," Williams said, referring to Gaza's main cargo crossing with Israel.Earlier this month, the U.N. warned that Gaza soon will become entirely dependent on foreign aid and face "disastrous consequences" if the Hamas-run territory remains sealed off. A Palestinian business group warned that at least 120,000 more Gazans could lose their jobs.
President Mahmoud Abbas set up a moderate government in the West Bank after Hamas took control of Gaza. Hamas has charged that Abbas' government, made up of pro-Western officials of the Fatah movement, does not want the crossings opened because such a move would help the Islamic group hold on to power in Gaza.
Diplomats and other officials in contact with the Abbas government privately confirm that this is the case. However, Fatah officials deny it, aware that saying so publicly could open it to charges of colluding with Israel.
Williams praised Israel's recent release of Palestinian prisoners and transfer of millions of dollars in frozen tax funds to Abbas' government. But Williams said he is "concerned that we haven't seen further steps," and urged Israel to release more prisoners and dismantle illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank.
"An elementary constituent of economic development is freedom of movement, and to a very considerable extent that does not exist in the West Bank," he said.
Williams also said he was concerned by an increase in Israeli killings of militants in Gaza in recent days, as well as by reports of human rights violations by Gaza's new Hamas rulers.
Williams began his tenure as U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East in May. He said he will be leaving the job in a few weeks, however, to assume the position of Mideast envoy for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Toward a Realistic Peace
Rudolph Giuliani, Foreign Affairs, September/October 2007. The election of Hamas in the Palestinian-controlled territories is a case in point. The problem there is not the lack of statehood but corrupt and unaccountable governance. The Palestinian people need decent governance first, as a prerequisite for statehood. Too much emphasis has been placed on brokering negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians -- negotiations that bring up the same issues again and again. It is not in the interest of the United States, at a time when it is being threatened by Islamist terrorists, to assist the creation of another state that will support terrorism. Palestinian statehood will have to be earned through sustained good governance, a clear commitment to fighting terrorism, and a willingness to live in peace with Israel. America's commitment to Israel's security is a permanent feature of our foreign policy.
The next president must champion human rights and speak out when they are violated. America should continue to use its influence to bring attention to individual abuses and use a full range of inducements and pressures to try to end them. Securing the rights of men, women, and children everywhere should be a core commitment of any country that counts itself as part of the civilized world. Whether with friends, allies, or adversaries, democracy will always be an issue in our relations and part of the conversation. And so the better a country's record on good governance, human rights, and democratic development, the better its relations with the United States will be. Those countries that want our help in moving toward these ideals will have it.
The next president must champion human rights and speak out when they are violated. America should continue to use its influence to bring attention to individual abuses and use a full range of inducements and pressures to try to end them. Securing the rights of men, women, and children everywhere should be a core commitment of any country that counts itself as part of the civilized world. Whether with friends, allies, or adversaries, democracy will always be an issue in our relations and part of the conversation. And so the better a country's record on good governance, human rights, and democratic development, the better its relations with the United States will be. Those countries that want our help in moving toward these ideals will have it.
LATEST GAZA SITUATION REPORT 15-23 AUGUST
SUMMARY POINTS from http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/Gaza_Aug23.pdf
1. In the last 72 hours, 12 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip, including two children.2. Fuel supplies resumed on 22 August to the Gaza Power Station for the first time since 15 August. However, power cuts are still expected due to a continuing lack of capacity.
3. Continuing strikes by the Gaza city municipality have led to thousands of tons of solid waste piling up on street corners, posing public health concerns to those living in surrounding areas.
4. Karni, Gaza’s principal crossing point, remains closed. Basic humanitarian supplies from the private sector and humanitarian agencies are entering through Sufa and Kerem Shalom.
5. All Gazan exports have been blocked since mid-June. Raw materials essential for the Gaza businesses and economy have not been allowed to enter Gaza, preventing production of basic supplies. For example, more than 350,000 UNRWA textbooks cannot be printed because Gaza printing shops lack the requesite raw materials.
6. Paltrade reports that as of 14 August, the direct and indirect potential losses from the closures have reached an estimated at $8 million for the furniture sector, $15 million for garments and textiles and $3 million for processed food. The agriculture sector has estimated export losses at $16 million. 85% of manufacturing businesses have now temporarily shut down, with over 35,000 workers laid off. An additional 35,000 workers have been laid from other sectors including construction, trade and the service sector.
For more information please contact Juliette Touma, 054-81-555-46, toumaj@un.org
United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Mac House
P.O.Box 38712
Jerusalem
Tel:++ 972-2-5829962/5853
Fax:++972-2-5825841
email:ochaopt@un.org
www.ochaopt.org
Now.. what ! Back to the electricity problem!
Heba from Gaza, 19/07/07. Back to the electricity problem! A year ago almost in October we had the major electricity power plant in Gaza shelled by F16. Then we suffered living with scheduled electricity for about 4 months. We used to have it for 8 hrs and then not have it for another 8 hrs. Our life was on hold. Bathing the kid, house chores, university assignments, exams studying, watching any TV at all and all other things that you can imagine were scheduled. I used to feel bitter and sad about the lack of electricity. I did not even have the “power” to feel angry. Of course this electricity problem started immediately before Ramdan , the month in which we fast all day and then have our meal by sunset . So we used to eat at the light of candles, how romantic!!. A year later and almost before Ramdan (what a coincidence), the problem arises again because the European Union will not fund the fuel for the major and only Gaza power plant. Mr. Abbas government says that it is the fault of Hamas and the EU says it’s temporary. This time it is not even scheduled as last year. Yesterday we had it for only 4 hrs in the 24 hrs, when I was at work. So again, collective punishment is imposed on Gazans because of political agendas. People are paying the price. My husband drove aimlessly in dark, gloomy, and full of smelly waste streets last night. It almost felt gothic to me. What can we say to the world and our leaders other than have mercy on us; the ill, the elderly and those, who like myself, feel that Gaza has become difficult to cope with.
The law of the land
Laila, 17/08/07. I've been following the situation closely back home. The past few months have really gotten me down-maybe its journalist fatigue.
I get tired having to explain the "situation back home" every time someone finds out I'm from Gaza and have recently been there. This might sound odd for someone with such a public internet persona. But with many people I've come in contact with, I have to start from scratch... forget about ID cards and border crossings and a non-functional, non-sovereign authority split between two still-occupied territories divided by borders and air and water they don't control.
I suppose part of it is realizing my existence is at stake somehow in all of this. I have to renew my Palestinian "passport" soon (I and have that in quotations because the "passport" is, as stated in the first page, issued pursuant to the sham that is Oslo), but I can't go back to Gaza. I have no where to go to, no where to return to. At least not now. Permanence is transient. Transience is permanent.
I've taken to doing some senseless things lately. Trying to clear my mind, regain some perspective. I watched a little bit of "Escape from Alcatrez" the other day. Funny, but it looked like paradise compared to Gaza now. I also just finished reading Ben White's "Brief Encounters with Che Guevera", a collection of short stories, many of them about Haiti and US involvement there. Naturally, I thought of our situation. I thought-can it get any more f****** up than t his? No really, I'm serious, can it?
I'm not sure what it will take anymore for people to realize the absurdity of it all. I mean, sanctioning an occupied people for God's sake? Demanding an end to "violence" by those occupied people all while the US shells out another $30 billion in military aid to the world's third strongest army?
And I'm not talking about the US only here. I'm talking about our very own Arab governments who, from day one, bowed in submission to US commands to freeze financial transactions to Hamas. Yes, the world, including the Arab world, has been complicit in the destruction of a society.
And now we have Abbas the degenerate thinking he's actually running the show in the West Bank; suddenly the money starts coming in, some prisoners scheduled for release anyway are released, leaving thousands of others languishing; and Abbas and his cronies are the new "moderates"; was it worth it? A few weeks ago a friend working with a respected human rights organization asked Saeb Erekat whether there had been any talks or negotiations with Israel regarding re-opening Rafah Crossing. Plain and simple, he answered no. If only he'd exert so much effort in all his negotiations.\
Amazing how just a few years ago Sharon flew to Washington to convince Bush Abbas was not a partner for peace.
And now there are calls for early elections that will exclude parties who "don't obey the law". And what law might that be, exactly?
I get tired having to explain the "situation back home" every time someone finds out I'm from Gaza and have recently been there. This might sound odd for someone with such a public internet persona. But with many people I've come in contact with, I have to start from scratch... forget about ID cards and border crossings and a non-functional, non-sovereign authority split between two still-occupied territories divided by borders and air and water they don't control.
I suppose part of it is realizing my existence is at stake somehow in all of this. I have to renew my Palestinian "passport" soon (I and have that in quotations because the "passport" is, as stated in the first page, issued pursuant to the sham that is Oslo), but I can't go back to Gaza. I have no where to go to, no where to return to. At least not now. Permanence is transient. Transience is permanent.
I've taken to doing some senseless things lately. Trying to clear my mind, regain some perspective. I watched a little bit of "Escape from Alcatrez" the other day. Funny, but it looked like paradise compared to Gaza now. I also just finished reading Ben White's "Brief Encounters with Che Guevera", a collection of short stories, many of them about Haiti and US involvement there. Naturally, I thought of our situation. I thought-can it get any more f****** up than t his? No really, I'm serious, can it?
I'm not sure what it will take anymore for people to realize the absurdity of it all. I mean, sanctioning an occupied people for God's sake? Demanding an end to "violence" by those occupied people all while the US shells out another $30 billion in military aid to the world's third strongest army?
And I'm not talking about the US only here. I'm talking about our very own Arab governments who, from day one, bowed in submission to US commands to freeze financial transactions to Hamas. Yes, the world, including the Arab world, has been complicit in the destruction of a society.
And now we have Abbas the degenerate thinking he's actually running the show in the West Bank; suddenly the money starts coming in, some prisoners scheduled for release anyway are released, leaving thousands of others languishing; and Abbas and his cronies are the new "moderates"; was it worth it? A few weeks ago a friend working with a respected human rights organization asked Saeb Erekat whether there had been any talks or negotiations with Israel regarding re-opening Rafah Crossing. Plain and simple, he answered no. If only he'd exert so much effort in all his negotiations.\
Amazing how just a few years ago Sharon flew to Washington to convince Bush Abbas was not a partner for peace.
And now there are calls for early elections that will exclude parties who "don't obey the law". And what law might that be, exactly?
Olive Harvest 2007: You Are Needed More Than Ever!
Join Us in Palestine for the 2007 Olive Harvest Campaign! Palestinian
farmers and agricultural organizations, in coordination with the
International Solidarity Movement, the International Women's Peace
Service, and the Christian Peacemaker Team announce the 2007 Olive
Harvest Campaign. The campaign will begin on October 16th, after the
end of Ramadan, and will continue for six to eight weeks, depending on
the size of the harvest.
The Israeli government continues to seize Palestinian land throughout
the West Bank to expand settlements and build its illegal annexation
barrier. As this goes on, Palestinian communities continue to resist
Israel's attempts to cement its control of the West Bank and imprison
Palestinians behind walls and fences.
The Olive Harvest is an annual affirmation of Palestinians'
historical, spiritual and economic connection to their land, and a
rejection of Israeli efforts to seize it. Palestinians are the
indigenous people of this land who have farmed olives here for
thousands of years. The annual harvest is a symbol of life for
Palestinian communities.
Agricultural productivity over the last seven years has decreased
dramatically because of closures and sieges, which prohibit access to
farms and markets. Israel's barrier and increased settler attacks on
farmers and their families in the fields have further diminished
Palestinians' ability to earn a living. Over half a million olive and
fruit trees have been destroyed since September 2000. Palestinian
agriculture is being destroyed by the policies of the Israeli
government and the rights of Palestinians to their land and to a
livelihood are being denied.
International and Israeli volunteers join Palestinians each year to
harvest olives, in spite of efforts by Israeli settlers, soldiers and
bulldozers to destroy this vital piece of Palestinian life.
How It Works
The Olive Harvest Campaign provides a wonderful opportunity to spend
time with Palestinian families in their olive groves and homes. The
presence of internationals during harvest time has proven in the past
to help limit and decrease the severity of attacks. Last year (2006)
was the first year since the beginning of the intifada that a farmer
was not murdered while trying to harvest his olives. One farmer was
severely beaten, and in that instance, no internationals or Israelis
were present. Your presence makes all the difference in reducing the
levels of violence Palestinians experience while standing up for their
rights.
After a two-day training session, volunteers for the Olive Harvest
Campaign will stay in Palestinian homes or international apartments in
West Bank communities and accompany Palestinian families to their
olive groves to serve as witnesses to document and expose attacks by
settlers -- supported by the Israeli Army -- on farmers and their
families.
In addition to olive harvest, volunteers will have the opportunity to
join Palestinians in nonviolent protests throughout the West Bank
against the construction of the annexation barrier, settlements and
settlement roads.
This 2007 Olive Harvest Campaign is part of the ongoing work of the
International Solidarity Movement, a Palestinian-led movement
comprising of Palestinian, Israeli and international activists working
to raise awareness about the struggle for Palestinian freedom and an
end to the occupation. ISM uses nonviolent, direct-action methods of
resistance to confront and challenge the Israeli persecution of
Palestinians. With your help and participation, we will expose the
injustice of the Israeli occupation and send a message to the world
that the occupation must end and the wall must fall!
For more information on preparation, travel and arrival in Palestine,
please see the ISM Palestine website, www.palsolidarity.org/main/join/.
ISM support groups located around the world can help answer your
questions about the movement and Olive Harvest Campaign. Many will
provide training sessions. For information on how to contact local ISM
support groups worldwide, please also see the ISM website.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
Please consider a financial donation to help continue the important work of the ISM. You may donate securely online at our website: http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/donations
For more information, visit the ISM website at http://www.palsolidarity.org
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