The Appeasement of Israeli crimes by our Governments is a shameful stain that will be reflected in the history books, much as the same during Hitler's rise are regarded today.
Abbas: Israel guilty of ethnic cleansing
Elizabeth Stewart and agencies guardian.co.uk, Friday March 14 2008
The Palestinian Authority president has accused Israel of maintaining policies in Jerusalem that are tantamount to "an ethnic cleansing campaign".
Speaking to leaders from Muslim countries gathered in Senegal, Mahmoud Abbas said Israel's actions were calculated to force Palestinians from the city.
"Our people in Jerusalem are under an ethnic cleansing campaign," he said. "They are suffering from a series of decisions like tax hikes and construction prohibitions."
Abbas said Palestinians were "facing a campaign of annihilation" by the Israeli state.
At the summit of the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the world's largest Muslim organisation, Abbas appealed to leaders from Muslim countries for support at a critical stage in the Middle East peace process.
A draft declaration to be adopted by the leaders "backs Palestine, and condemns Israel for what it is doing in Gaza", said Riad Malki, the Palestinian Authority foreign minister.
In Washington, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack dismissed President Abbas's accusations as "an example of overheated political rhetoric", and urged the Israelis and Palestinians to "keep their focus on the political process".
(But as Israel's main sponsor, responsible for underwriting these policies, such statements from the US must be taken with a grain of salt. Criminals no doubt always dismiss criticism of their actions. Anonymously, Washington insiders have warned of growing unease within the Government towrds Israel's increasingly provocative actions.)
The two sides today resumed high-level talks with a US representative, Lieutenant General William Fraser, the first to take place at senior level since talks were suspended at the start of the month in protest at Israel's recent invasion of the Gaza Strip.
(Perhaps it's time to bring the process under the mediation of the UN, or some body that is not funding Israel ...)
Israel has faced criticism from the US over the continued construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank, which it has described as "unhelpful" to the peace process. The Ha'aretz newspaper quoted an unnamed Israeli official as saying: "Real tension has developed with the Americans, and if there are no steps on the ground we will find ourselves in big trouble."
Fraser will also have to confront the recent escalation in violence between the sides, which has strained the US-backed peace talks.
(But as recent revelations prove, the Bush Administration and Israel's ruling Extremists were behind those 'escalations'.)
Yesterday, Islamic Jihad launched a volley of rockets at southern Israel from Gaza, after Israeli undercover forces killed four of its fighters in the West Bank.
Renewed conflict began at the end of last month as Israel's blockade on Gaza entered its eighth month.
(The Collective Punishment imposed on Gaza provoked rockets, just as Israel's defence staff had warned would result, and this enabled Israel to launch a long-premeditated military assault on Gaza, feigning to be acting in 'defence'. This attack slaughtered Palestinian civilians.)
The fighting intensified as Hamas launched long-range missiles at the Israeli city of Ashkelon, provoking an invasion of Gaza by Israel in which at least 107 people were killed.
(But that's the 'official narrative' ... Note they leave out the part about Israeli human rights groups reporting that over half of those slaughtered were civilians.)
Last Thursday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire in a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem, killing eight students.
(This school was the home of the violent and racist illegal Settler-terrorist movement.)
Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, said the conflict would intensify before calm was achieved. Referring to Israel's raid in the West Bank, Barak said it "proved once more that Israel will hunt down murderers with Jewish blood on their hands".
With George Bush due to visit the region in two months, international pressure for a political solution is likely to increase.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/14/israelandthepalestinians1
PLO: “Israel killed 274 residents, including 50 children, 18 women, since the beginning of 2008”
Thursday March 13, 2008 22:13 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC
The National and International Department of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) reported that the Israeli army killed 274 Palestinians, including 50 children and 18 women since the beginning of 2008.
The report documents the Israeli violations against the Palestinian people. It stated that the Israeli army carried war crimes during its offensive against the Gaza Strip, and explained that the army used different sorts of weapons against civilians, who were the vast majority of the casualties in the latest offensive.
The report indicated that two infants (20 days old and 7 months old) were among the Palestinians who were killed by the army. Eighteen women were also killed and one resident was shot and killed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
The report added that 979 Palestinians were shot and injured in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the year, among them were 35 residents who suffered permanent disabilities.
32 patients died in the Gaza Strip due to the siege after the Israeli Authorities refused to allow them to leave the Gaza Strip for medical treatment abroad, most of them were children. Five more residents died at roadblocks in the West Bank after the army obstructed their transfer to hospitals and medical facilities.
The Israeli army kidnapped nearly 1500 Palestinians, including 10 children, since the beginning of the year, and one detainee died due to medical negligence.
The report also stated that the Israeli government continued its violations in Jerusalem by expanding settlements, annexing lands and constructions in the Old City.
The Israeli government illegal grabbed 1500 Dunams of Palestinians lands in Al Esawiyya and Anata towns, near Jerusalem.
The government also released bids for constructing more than 1100 houses for settlers in Abu Ghneim settlement, and continued its excavations under the Al Aqsa Mosque.
Settlers in Jerusalem illegally occupied several Palestinian houses, while the government registered some of these houses to the settlers.
The Israeli authorities bulldozed and shelled 43 houses, most of them were in Jablia, in the Gaza Strip, and 40 other houses were partially destroyed. Other houses were demolished in Jerusalem.
Israel continued the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank and confiscated 1676 Dumans of land which belong to Palestinian residents of Al Thahiriyya, Doura, Arab Al Ramadeen towns near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
1500 Dunams were annexed from Palestinian towns east of Jerusalem as Israel continued to construct the settler-only roads surrounding the city.
The PLO department warned that the ongoing Israeli violations and the ongoing siege in the Gaza Strip would only create further tension and lead to further civilian casualties.
It demanded the International Community to intervene and stop the Israeli violations and attacks against the Palestinian people and their lands.
http://www.imemc.org/article/53463
Amnesty Int'l Condemns IDF for Reckless Disregard of Life in Gaza
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/392935.html
Rights Group: More than 50% of Gaza casualties were civilians
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/960338.html
Joint Statement Against the Israeli Airstrikes on the Gaza Strip
http://www.alternativenews.org/news/english/joint-statement-against-the-israeli-airstrikes-on-the-gaza-strip-20080301.html
U.N. Chief Condemns Israel After Bloody Day in Gaza
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/392791.html
Elizabeth Stewart and agencies guardian.co.uk, Friday March 14 2008
The Palestinian Authority president has accused Israel of maintaining policies in Jerusalem that are tantamount to "an ethnic cleansing campaign".
Speaking to leaders from Muslim countries gathered in Senegal, Mahmoud Abbas said Israel's actions were calculated to force Palestinians from the city.
"Our people in Jerusalem are under an ethnic cleansing campaign," he said. "They are suffering from a series of decisions like tax hikes and construction prohibitions."
Abbas said Palestinians were "facing a campaign of annihilation" by the Israeli state.
At the summit of the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the world's largest Muslim organisation, Abbas appealed to leaders from Muslim countries for support at a critical stage in the Middle East peace process.
A draft declaration to be adopted by the leaders "backs Palestine, and condemns Israel for what it is doing in Gaza", said Riad Malki, the Palestinian Authority foreign minister.
In Washington, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack dismissed President Abbas's accusations as "an example of overheated political rhetoric", and urged the Israelis and Palestinians to "keep their focus on the political process".
(But as Israel's main sponsor, responsible for underwriting these policies, such statements from the US must be taken with a grain of salt. Criminals no doubt always dismiss criticism of their actions. Anonymously, Washington insiders have warned of growing unease within the Government towrds Israel's increasingly provocative actions.)
The two sides today resumed high-level talks with a US representative, Lieutenant General William Fraser, the first to take place at senior level since talks were suspended at the start of the month in protest at Israel's recent invasion of the Gaza Strip.
(Perhaps it's time to bring the process under the mediation of the UN, or some body that is not funding Israel ...)
Israel has faced criticism from the US over the continued construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank, which it has described as "unhelpful" to the peace process. The Ha'aretz newspaper quoted an unnamed Israeli official as saying: "Real tension has developed with the Americans, and if there are no steps on the ground we will find ourselves in big trouble."
Fraser will also have to confront the recent escalation in violence between the sides, which has strained the US-backed peace talks.
(But as recent revelations prove, the Bush Administration and Israel's ruling Extremists were behind those 'escalations'.)
Yesterday, Islamic Jihad launched a volley of rockets at southern Israel from Gaza, after Israeli undercover forces killed four of its fighters in the West Bank.
Renewed conflict began at the end of last month as Israel's blockade on Gaza entered its eighth month.
(The Collective Punishment imposed on Gaza provoked rockets, just as Israel's defence staff had warned would result, and this enabled Israel to launch a long-premeditated military assault on Gaza, feigning to be acting in 'defence'. This attack slaughtered Palestinian civilians.)
The fighting intensified as Hamas launched long-range missiles at the Israeli city of Ashkelon, provoking an invasion of Gaza by Israel in which at least 107 people were killed.
(But that's the 'official narrative' ... Note they leave out the part about Israeli human rights groups reporting that over half of those slaughtered were civilians.)
Last Thursday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire in a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem, killing eight students.
(This school was the home of the violent and racist illegal Settler-terrorist movement.)
Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, said the conflict would intensify before calm was achieved. Referring to Israel's raid in the West Bank, Barak said it "proved once more that Israel will hunt down murderers with Jewish blood on their hands".
With George Bush due to visit the region in two months, international pressure for a political solution is likely to increase.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/14/israelandthepalestinians1 PLO: “Israel killed 274 residents, including 50 children, 18 women, since the beginning of 2008”
Thursday March 13, 2008 22:13 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC
The National and International Department of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) reported that the Israeli army killed 274 Palestinians, including 50 children and 18 women since the beginning of 2008.
The report documents the Israeli violations against the Palestinian people. It stated that the Israeli army carried war crimes during its offensive against the Gaza Strip, and explained that the army used different sorts of weapons against civilians, who were the vast majority of the casualties in the latest offensive.
The report indicated that two infants (20 days old and 7 months old) were among the Palestinians who were killed by the army. Eighteen women were also killed and one resident was shot and killed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
The report added that 979 Palestinians were shot and injured in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the year, among them were 35 residents who suffered permanent disabilities.
32 patients died in the Gaza Strip due to the siege after the Israeli Authorities refused to allow them to leave the Gaza Strip for medical treatment abroad, most of them were children. Five more residents died at roadblocks in the West Bank after the army obstructed their transfer to hospitals and medical facilities.
The Israeli army kidnapped nearly 1500 Palestinians, including 10 children, since the beginning of the year, and one detainee died due to medical negligence.
The report also stated that the Israeli government continued its violations in Jerusalem by expanding settlements, annexing lands and constructions in the Old City.
The Israeli government illegal grabbed 1500 Dunams of Palestinians lands in Al Esawiyya and Anata towns, near Jerusalem.
The government also released bids for constructing more than 1100 houses for settlers in Abu Ghneim settlement, and continued its excavations under the Al Aqsa Mosque.
Settlers in Jerusalem illegally occupied several Palestinian houses, while the government registered some of these houses to the settlers.
The Israeli authorities bulldozed and shelled 43 houses, most of them were in Jablia, in the Gaza Strip, and 40 other houses were partially destroyed. Other houses were demolished in Jerusalem.
Israel continued the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank and confiscated 1676 Dumans of land which belong to Palestinian residents of Al Thahiriyya, Doura, Arab Al Ramadeen towns near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
1500 Dunams were annexed from Palestinian towns east of Jerusalem as Israel continued to construct the settler-only roads surrounding the city.
The PLO department warned that the ongoing Israeli violations and the ongoing siege in the Gaza Strip would only create further tension and lead to further civilian casualties.
It demanded the International Community to intervene and stop the Israeli violations and attacks against the Palestinian people and their lands.
http://www.imemc.org/article/53463 Amnesty Int'l Condemns IDF for Reckless Disregard of Life in Gaza
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/392935.html Rights Group: More than 50% of Gaza casualties were civilians
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/960338.html Joint Statement Against the Israeli Airstrikes on the Gaza Strip
http://www.alternativenews.org/news/english/joint-statement-against-the-israeli-airstrikes-on-the-gaza-strip-20080301.html U.N. Chief Condemns Israel After Bloody Day in Gaza
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/392791.html
