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Land Theft and Destruction / Ethnic Cleansing / Apartheid / Restriction of Movement / Refugees

Occupation plans to demolish 3,700 houses in Silwan

The Committee for the Defense of Silwan said that the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem plans to demolish 3,727 homes in Jerusalem houaing 1,500 Jerusalemites a prelude to establish Talmudic gardens.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

IOA starts building 300 housing units south of Bethlehem
Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) began to build 300 housing units near the town of al-Khader, south of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

Israel To Build New Settler-Road Near Qalqilia
The so-called Israeli Civil Administration Office, run under the Israeli Military in the occupied West Bank, is planning to pave a new road to be used by Jewish settlers, in the northern West Bank district of Qalqilia.
link to www.imemc.org

PA official : Settlers dig up 200 dunams of Nablus land
NABLUS (Ma’an) — A group of settlers dug up 200 dunams of agricultural land in the Nablus village of Yanun on Tuesday, a PA official said. Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors settlement activity in the northern West Bank, told Ma’an that dozens of settlers used bulldozers to destroy the land.
link to www.maannews.net

New East Jerusalem "facts on the ground" : checkpoint closed to Palestinians, bridge constructed for settlers
PCHR/IMEMC - The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns in the strongest terms possible the continued policies practiced by the Israeli occupation authorities aimed to Judaize occupied East Jerusalem, the latest of which was the closing of the Ras Khamis checkpoint, northeast of the city, and the start of construction for a section of the annexation wall in that area.
link to www.imemc.org

Israel seals West Bank, Gaza for Jewish holiday
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel will impose a general closure on the West Bank and Gaza for two days from midnight Monday, the Israeli army said Monday evening. All crossings in and out of the West Bank and Gaza will close from midnight Monday until midnight Wednesday due to the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, the army said in a statement. Those in need of medical attention or humanitarian aid will need the authorization of Israel’s civil administration to pass, the army added. Israel routinely imposes closures on the occupied West Bank during Jewish holidays.
link to www.maannews.net

Ein Hod : an Israeli national crime becomes an "artists’ colonly" in the rendition of the New York Times, As’ad AbuKhalil
"He said he was finally persuaded by his fellow members of Ein Hod, an artists’ colony in northern Israel..." For the background of the Israeli national crime of Ein Hod, read "There was a village in Palestine called Ein Houd, whose people traced their ancestry back to one of Saladin’s generals who was granted the territory as a reward for his prowess in battle. By the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, all the inhabitants of Ein Houd had been dispersed or exiled or had gone into hiding, although their old stone homes were not destroyed. In 1953 the Israeli government established an artists’ cooperative community in the houses of the village, now renamed Ein Hod. In the meantime, the Arab inhabitants of Ein Houd moved two kilometers up a neighboring mountain and illegally built a new village. They could not afford to build in stone, and the mountainous terrain prevented them from using the layout of traditional Palestinian villages. That seemed unimportant at the time, because the Palestinians considered it to be only temporary, a place to live until they could go home. The Palestinians have not gone home."
link to angryarab.blogspot.com

Stealing Palestinian Resources, Stephen Lendman
Israel wants it all. For decades, it’s been systematically stealing Palestinian land and resources. Al Haq’s new report provides more evidence. Titled "Pillage of the Dead Sea : Israel’s Unlawful Exploitation of Natural Resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territory," it details grand theft and war crimes. They benefit Jews by harming Palestinians. More on it below. Yesh Din defends Palestinian human rights. It exposes Israeli abuses. It champions long denied accountability. In March 2009, it petitioned Israel’s High Court of Justice (HCJ). It wants lawless West Bank mining operations stopped. Israel and 11 Israeli corporations steal Palestinian resources rightfully theirs. It demanded all quarrying and mining activities cease.
link to sjlendman.blogspot.com

Ras al-Auja – A Bedouin village’s existence threatened
Over 30 years ago the people of the Ras al-Auja originally lived in the village Lasayfer in the Jordan Valley, but were expelled from what became Israeli territory. The Bedouin community Ras al-Auja is situated west from the Palestinian village al-Auja and north of the settlement Yitav (established in 1970). The people of Ras al-Auja live in tents, and not in permanent structures, because it is not allowed by the Israeli authorities. If they build something permanent it will be demolished right away. Their main way to earn money is by breeding animals, which include sheep, cows, camels and birds.
link to www.palestinemonitor.org

Scenes from occupied Palestine : The doors of Jayyous, Henry Norr
No heavy politics in this post, just some visual testimony to the Palestinians’ ability to maintain their traditions and their spirits even under the boot of Israeli occupation.
link to mondoweiss.net

Siege on Gaza

UN condemns Israel over Gaza abuses
Israel must do more to halt a string of serious violations of Palestinian human rights documented by a 2009 fact-finding mission, according to a UN report published Monday. There is a "need to more earnestly pursue accountability for the serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law that were documented by the fact-finding mission," Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
link to english.al-akhbar.com

International petition against the Gaza siege
While the Swedish ship Estelle makes her slow way to Gaza, visiting numerous ports on the way and being warmly welcomed, hundreds of parlamentarians, prominent civil society actors and artists from different countries signed a petition against the siege, due to be published in the European and American media in a few days.
link to www.kibush.co.il

Islamic Cooperation : orphans without breadwinners in Gaza schools
Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the Gaza Strip, monitored in its monthly report the latest developments of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip during last August.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

Challenging Blockade of Gaza : Message from a Canadian on Board the Estelle
It is a great honour to be able to accompany the Swedish sailing ship Estelle for a few days, from Barcelona to Ajaccio (Corsica), on its way towards Gaza to challenge the illegal and inhuman blockade which has lasted now for more than five years., The Estelle in a 90 year-old three-masted schooner purchased from a Finnish fair-trade organization by Ship to Gaza Sweden in April and renovated for this sea voyage. She began a Swedish coastal tour in June, with solidarity and information events in communities to raise awareness about the blockade in Gaza.
link to english.pnn.ps

Gaza : Trying to Survive a Crippling Siege
Not only do the Palestinians living in Gaza have to deal with the Israeli-imposed siege of the over-populated Strip, but they also have a double tax burden, paying out to both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
link to english.al-akhbar.com

Gaza’s Youth Lose Hope
The Gaza Strip has witnessed seven suicides in the past eight weeks, a huge increase that’s prompting Palestinians to investigate more deeply how the harsh living conditions in the besieged Strip are affecting young people. Many Gazans believe abject poverty, widespread unemployment and the lack of any prospects for the future are fueling this rise in suicide rates, but they are unsure where to place the blame. Is it Israel’s fault for imposing the siege which affects nearly every aspect of daily life, or are the feuding Fatah and Hamas responsible ? Could the de facto government which controls the Gaza Strip do anything to alleviate some of the pressure if it were not so concerned with consolidating its political power and separating Gaza from the West Bank ? Al-Akhbar examined several of the suicide cases and found many factors that could have contributed to these young men, mostly between the ages of 16 and 25, deciding to end their lives.
link to english.al-akhbar.com

Family blames sewage, trash for deaths of 8 children in Gaza camp
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A family in Gaza that lost eight children over two years says the lack of sanitation around their home in al-Bureij refugee camp is responsible for their deaths. The Salim family lives meters from a landfill in the central Gaza camp, and their home is surrounded by open sewage and trash. Omar Salim, 30, told Ma’an that his son Mohammad pleaded not to be taken to the hospital when he fell ill with a fever and had blue spots on his skin. "Please dad, don’t take me to the hospital, I don’t want to die like my cousins and my brothers," Mohammad said, according to his father. Omar took his son to the hospital, where he died minutes after his appointment. "My two daughters also died from this strange disease. All doctors failed to diagnose the disease, or to give any logical or clear explanation about it. The environmental situation we are living in is difficult, and our children and we risk death at any moment," Omar added. "It was sewage water that killed my children and my brothers’ children. They died because of the foul smells this sewage emits and the fatal germs which spread in the area and the smoke of burned waste which intrudes our homes." The camp mayor Anis Abu Shamala told Ma’an that municipal officials had visited the Salim family and found flies and insects around their home. Tests on the later revealed strange microbes, and municipality staff brought water sterilization equipment but the family refused to use it, the mayor said. "The municipality asked local and international organizations to implement a drainage project in the camp," he said. The mayor urged the UN agency for refugees, UNRWA, which shares responsibility for the camp, to help remove rubbish and waste. He said the municipality removed 60 percent of the camp’s trash.
link to www.maannews.net

What’s really going on at Rafah ?
When it comes to understanding the complicated realities of the Gaza Strip, the Rafah Crossing ranks among the greatest sources of confusion : Many people know it is the main gateway in and out of the blockaded Palestinian territory, and that it is frequently closed. But other details are fuzzy. Many are likely unaware that even when the crossing is supposedly ’open’, it is still closed to large segments of the population – both the Palestinian residents of Gaza and others.
link to www.maannews.net

Gaza’s Impoverishment Leading to Desperation
On Tuesday 25th September, Oxfam said in a press release that the self-immolation of 18-year-old Ihab Abu Nader at the end of August shocked the Gaza Strip, now in its sixth year under Israeli blockade, shedding light once again on the poverty aggravated by the protracted closure. The teenage refugee from the impoverished Al Shaati refugee camp set himself on fire, reportedly after a long period unable to find a job. Ihab was just one of thousands currently making up 38 per cent of Gaza’s unemployed population and for whom the prospects of finding a job remain extremely bleak. Up to 80 per cent of Gaza’s 1.6 million population is dependent on some form of humanitarian aid since the closure forced thousands out of a job in Israel or in the local exporting industries. Nearly 30 per cent of Gaza’s businesses had to close down and another 15 per cent laid off 80 per cent of their staff.
link to english.pnn.ps

Egypt’s Gaza Policy : Time for Change is Now
If the new Egyptian leadership thinks it is possible to achieve lasting reconciliation between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah within the current political climate, it is likely to be disappointed. In the case of Gaza, the government of Mohamed Morsi should in fact pursue sensible policies free from the protracted and complex factional divide. If it subsists in its indecision, Israel and suspect extremist elements in the Sinai will likely intensify their efforts at derailing Egypt’s foreign policy agenda.
link to www.palestinechronicle.com

Israeli Terrorism

UNHRC : “Israel Fails To Prosecute Soldiers, Settlers, Who Attack Palestinians”
A report prepared and published by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) accused the state of Israel of failing to prosecute Israeli soldiers and settlers who commit crimes against the Palestinian people in the occupied territories, the Arabs48 News Website reported.
link to www.imemc.org

PHROC Presents Oral Statement of Culture of Impunity in Israel
Today, 24 September, Al-Haq presented a joint oral statement on behalf of the Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council* to the UN Human Rights Council for its 21st session during the General Debate on Item 7 : The Human Rights Situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories. The statement highlights the climate of impunity that prevails in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which allows the perpetrators of international crimes to go unpunished, and repeatedly denies Palestinian victims any semblance of justice.
link to www.alhaq.org

Israel asked to act on hate crimes
Some religious leaders in Israel are calling on the state to strengthen its blasphemy laws. But legal experts say tightening the law is unlikely because it risks limiting free speech. Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford reports from Jerusalem.
link to www.youtube.com

Lawyer : Israel must identify remains of Palestinian bodies
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian lawyer submitted a petition to Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday in a bid to pressure the legal body to open a testing center to identify the remains of Palestinian bodies held in Israeli cemeteries. Haitham al-Khatib, a lawyer with Al-Quds Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights, called on Israeli authorities to allow relatives to visit a military controlled cemetery in the Jordan Valley where the bodies of hundreds of Palestinians have been interred since the 1960s.
link to www.maannews.net

130 settlers storm al-Aqsa
Aqsa Foundation for Heritage and Waqf (Islamic endowment) called on the Islamic nation to bear its responsibilities towards al-Aqsa Mosque and occupied Jerusalem.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

WATCH : IDF turns blind eye to settlers throwing stones at Israeli activists
On Saturday, a group of Israeli activists came under attack from masked settlers who used slingshots to hurl stones at them while they walked between Palestinian villages in the South Hebron Hills, close to the illegal outpost of Havat Maon.
link to 972mag.com

Future Israeli terrorists : “I picture a dead Arab” : In disturbing video, Israeli children’s words echo indoctrination, Ali Abunimah
Asked what he imagined when he was sitting in a tank, one boy answers, “I picture a dead Arab.”
link to electronicintifada.net

Palestinian Authority in the Service of Israel

Abbas adopts ’Dershowitz Formula’ for resuming talks with Israel
Meeting Jewish leaders in New York, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas promises to recognize Jewish link to Israel in his General Assembly speech.
link to www.haaretz.com

Abbas agrees to ‘Dershowitz Formula’ in NY meeting with Jewish leaders, Adam Horowitz
Haaretz reports on a meeting that took place last night on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly between Mahmoud Abbas and leaders of the American Jewish community. According to their report several Jewish leaders, including Malcolm Hoenlein, refused to attend the meeting following a request from Netanyahu’s office. Luckily, Alan Derhowitz came to the rescue...
link to mondoweiss.net

Al-Dhamir Foundation condemns PA violations
Al-Dhamir Foundation revealed a number of egregious violations of Palestinian law, carried out by the PA security apparatus during the recent campaign of arrests in the occupied West Bank.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

UK rights group demands Palestinian authority to stop arresting journalists
The Arab organization for human rights in Britain said journalist Walid Khaled has been on hunger strike since September 17 in protest at his arbitrary detention and demanded his immediate release.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

Dweik : The PA arrest campaign is politically and economically motivated
Speaker Aziz Dweik said the arrest campaign which has been waged by the PA security forces against Hamas cadres and leaders in the West Bank is politically and economically motivated.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

Illegal Arrests

Army Kidnaps Palestinian Woman Visiting Detained Sons
Israeli soldiers kidnapped a Palestinian woman from occupied East Jerusalem while she was trying to visit her sons detained at the Eshil Israeli Prison In Beershiva (Be’er As-Sabe’).
link to www.imemc.org

IOF arrests five citizens from West Bank, including three brothers
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested on Monday five citizens, three of them from the town of Anata in occupied Jerusalem and two from the town of Beit Ummar, north of al-Khalil.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

Israeli forces arrest 16 across West Bank
NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces arrested 16 people in the West Bank overnight, locals and Israel’s army said. Witnesses said Moussa Ali al-Adam, 32, Iyad al-Hroub, 32, Ali Mahmou al-Hroub, 34, Majdhi Rajeh al-Hroub, and Ali Mahmoud Abu Warda were arrested in Hebron after Israeli forces raided several houses. Muhammad Said, 22, and Lutfi Hassan Arafat, 19, were arrested during a raid by soldiers on Balata refugee camp in Nablus, locals said. An Israeli army spokeswoman said 12 people were arrested in Nablus and four in Hebron.
link to www.maannews.net

Palestinian citizen detained on charge of transferring money to prisoners
Israeli Court in Haifa city, in the northern 1948-occupied Palestine, sentenced a Palestinian youth, 33 from Musmus town northern occupied Palestine, to three years suspended sentence.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

Child from Beit Ommar Imprisoned for the Second Time this Year
During the night raid Monday 24th of September the Israeli occupation forces also raided the house of the Ramzy Al Alamy family in Beit Ommar. Their 15 year old son, Hossein Ramzy Al Alamy, was arrested on March 31st 2012 when he was attending a peaceful demonstration in Beit Ommar. When he was released the judge told Hossein that if he was seen at a demonstration the next four years he would be jailed for seven months. Monday 24th of September the occupation force wanted to arrest Hossein again. They accused him of participating in peaceful demonstrations next to the colony Karmei Tsur. The occupation forces did not find Hossein at home, and handed his father, Ramzy, an order for Hossein to meet with the military officers in the Gush Ezion colony.
link to palestinesolidarityproject.org

Child and Youth Arrested During Night Raid
On Monday 24th of September two Beit Ommar residents, Mohammed Abu Hashem (16) and Tarik Abu Maria (18), were arrested in a night raid by the Israeli occupation forces. Mohammed’s father, Ahmed Abu Hashem, got a call from a neighbour at 02.30 a.m. saying that about fifty soldiers were heading in the direction of Ahmed’s house. The force left the military vehicles in a close by street, possibly to make sure none of the family members got away. When the occupation forces came to Ahmed’s house they started cutting the fence.
link to palestinesolidarityproject.org

Night Raids in Beit Ommar
Most of the arrests in Beit Ommar take place at night as Israeli occupation forces storm civil Palestinian homes to search and arrest children and young men. The soldiers usually enter the village in large numbers with several jeeps and a prisoner truck. Not only do they storm the Palestinian homes in a violent manner, they also use shock grenades, smoke grenades and tear gas, waking up the surrounding neighborhood, leaving no doubt in the minds of the future generations that they grow up under occupation.
link to palestinesolidarityproject.org

Israeli forces ransack Old City home, arrest man
A man was arrested during an Israeli raid on his home in Burj al-Laklak district of Jerusalem Old City on Sunday, 24 September. 27-year old Muhammad G’azi Dwek was taken when a large number of Israeli forces stormed his family home at 6am. Dwek’s mother told Silwanic that armed forces broke the door to the home and searched the entire house, although they had no warrant.
link to silwanic.net

Other Prisoner News

Issawi rejects deportation, says he will continue his strike
The prisoner Samer Issawi, 55 days on hunger strike, confirmed his absolute rejection of deportation, adding that he would not end his hunger strike till his liberation to Jerusalem or martyrdom.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

Magistrates Court extends Silwan teenager’s detention
The detention of a 15-year old boy from Silwan was extended by the Jerusalem Magistrates Court yesterday. Suhaib Arafat al-Aw’ar will be held until next Tuesday for investigation by police, following his arrest from a bus stop while walking home yesterday. Aw’ar is accused by police of breaking conditions of a house arrest sentence, in addition to allegations of identity theft and hiring an Israeli settler for unknown reasons. Aw’ar’s lawyer states that conditions of his client’s house arrest sentence were loosened recently, allowing him to attend school. His mother was required to present herself at Maskubiye police station while her son was at school. Aw’ar has had the sentence since April 2011 and has been arrested several times before.
link to silwanic.net

Comrade Sa’adat : Occupation refusing to implement prisoners’ agreement
Comrade Ahmad Sa’adat, the imprisoned General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, denounced the continuing procrastination of the occupation prison administration in implementing the terms of the prisoners’ agreement concluded after the battle of empty stomachs for freedom and dignity fought by the prisoners’ movement last April.
link to pflp.ps

Prisoners refuse meals in solidarity with hunger striking prisoners
Palestinian prisoners’ studies center confirmed that prisoners in Israeli jails will go on hunger strike for one day on Tuesday, in solidarity with their fellow prisoners on hunger strike for months.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

A captive’s mother visits her son for the first time after 13 years
The mother of captive Hassan Salameh, a leader in Al-Qassam Brigades, was finally able to visit her son on Monday for the first time after 13 years.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

Palestinian Activism / BDS / Solidarity

PFLP marches in Ramallah in solidarity with prisoners
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine held a march and rally in Ramallah on Saturday, September 22, 2012, in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Protesters carried photos of the prisoners, including many posters of imprisoned PFLP General Secretary, Comrade Ahmad Sa’adat.
link to pflp.ps

Anti-normalization committee denounces Israeli participation in Gulf maneuvers
The Jordanian higher executive committee for defending the homeland and confronting normalization with Israel strongly condemned the Israeli participation in the Gulf maneuvers.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

Why Palestine is a key issue for UK trade unions, Sarah Colborne
Members of the Trades Union Congress in the UK unanimously voted to campaign towards ending Israel’s devastating siege on Gaza.
link to electronicintifada.net

Thank the Quakers for Divesting from Veolia and HP !
The US Campaign is thrilled to announce that the Quaker Friends Fiduciary Corporation (FFC) has become the first U.S. national fund to divest from Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Veolia Environment following concerns expressed by Palestinian rights advocates about the companies’ involvement in the Israeli occupation. At last count, FFC held investments of more than$250,000 in HP and more than $140,000 in Veolia.
link to salsa.democracyinaction.org

#BDS : Has the @BDSMovement endorsed the two-state solution ?
Without any prior notice to its endorsers, the BDS Movement has amended its statement from "end of occupation and colonization of all Arab lands" Has the BDS Movement officially endorsed the two-state solution ? YAN demands clarification. YAN is a BDS group that supports the full liberation of Palestine and the dismantlement of the Zionist entity. We support the one-state solution.
link to youthanormalization.blogspot.com

Rappers Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) give a lyrical shout-out to Palestine, Ali Abunimah
Black Star held their fists high and declared, “Let’s get free just like the Palestinians !”
link to electronicintifada.net

The Freedom Bus kicks off in the West Bank
The voices of ordinary people have always had a monumental place in world history. With the ability to humanize conflict and offer insight into daily life, story-telling is the key foundation upon which the Freedom Bus Ride for Justice will build its nine day tour across the West Bank. Kicking off September 23rd, a bus full of international participants, playback theatre actors and Palestinian activists will travel to cities and villages known for their active resistance against the Israeli occupation to bear witness, participate in theatre and demonstrations, and take part in a number of noteworthy seminars. Inspired in part by the Freedom Rides of the civil rights movement in 1960s era in the United States, the Freedom Bus has similar motives of bringing together communities and people of vastly different experiences and lifestyles and allowing them to exchange stories.
link to www.palestinemonitor.org

‘Savage’ NY subway ads get a make-over– revealing their true character, Philip Weiss
A friend just sent us these photos of two of the Islamophobic ads put up hours ago by Pam Geller’s organization in ten New York subway stations. Well they got a makeover, didn’t they ? And their true character has been revealed. The one above is in the Port Authority subway station. I hear it’s right next to a police station. And the one below is also from the 8th Avenue line, but at 23d Street.
link to mondoweiss.net

Israeli Racism and Discrimination

For Arab student going to Ariel, the message is ’Yalla, get off the bus’
Iniya Daher, a Tel Aviv resident, says security guards forced her off a bus at gunpoint on her way to Ariel University Center in the West Bank.
link to www.haaretz.com

Developments / Other News

Israel has "no roots" in the Middle East : Ahmadinejad
Iran does not take seriously Israeli threats of attack, but is prepared to defend itself, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday, while saying that Israel has "no roots" in the history of the Middle East and would be "eliminated." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted Israel could strike Iran’s nuclear sites and has criticized US President Barack Obama’s position that sanctions and diplomacy should be given more time to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran denies that it is seeking nuclear arms and says its atomic work is peaceful, aimed at generating electricity. "Fundamentally we do not take seriously the threats of the Zionists. ... We have all the defensive means at our disposal and we are ready to defend ourselves," Ahmadinejad told reporters in New York, where he is due to attend the UN General Assembly.
link to english.al-akhbar.com

Egypt warns Israel that it will respond to any aggression in Sinai
Egypt has told the Israeli and US defence ministries, as well as the leadership of the multinational UN forces in Sinai, that its army will respond immediately and without hesitation to any violations of its borders by the Israel Defence Forces. Any terrorist operations committed on Egyptian soil, said a security source, will be tackled by Egyptian forces to maintain its territorial integrity.
link to www.middleeastmonitor.com

Mashaal to refuse renewal of his post as head of Hamas’s political bureau
Member of Hamas’s political bureau Ezzat Al-Resheq said that Khaled Mashaal would not accept his nomination for the presidency of the Movement’s political bureau in the coming internal election.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

Hamas proposes free trade zone in Rafah
Hamas has prepared a working paper on the establishment of a Rafah joint free industrial trade zone linking Egypt with the Gaza Strip, Palestinian news and information agency WAFA said Monday. According to WAFA, the area would be supervised by an Egyptian-Palestinian commission that would work to attract investors to the region and give the private sector on both sides of the border the opportunity to build infrastructure and facilities.
link to www.egyptindependent.com

‘Door closing’ on two-state solution : Ban tells U.N. Assembly
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon painted a dismal picture over the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Tuesday, saying the “door may be closing [on the solution], for good.”
link to english.alarabiya.net

Israel working to avert collapse of ailing Palestinian economy
Fearing that West Bank instability threatens the future of the Palestinian Authority, and that the IDF could become the target of demonstrations there, Israel has been taking steps to assist the PA.
link to www.haaretz.com

Abbas set for scaled-down bid at U.N.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — There is no fanfare this time, no campaign in support of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as he heads this week to the United Nations to ask for an upgrade of the Palestinians’ status there to a non-member state. Abbas is scheduled to speak at the General Assembly on Thursday, a year after he addressed that body in a high-profile bid to win U.N. membership for a state of Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. That effort fizzled in the Security Council when the Palestinians were unable to muster enough votes in the face of strong opposition from Washington.
link to www.washingtonpost.com

Abbas ready to drop Oslo, Paris Protocol and security coordination with Israel
Reliable Palestinian sources have revealed that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is ready to drop the Oslo Accord, the Paris Protocol and security coordination with Israel. He made this momentous claim in a meeting of the PLO leadership in Ramallah. So keen was Abbas for the meeting to go ahead while the demonstrations against the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories were going on that he did not wait until he got back from a trip to India.
link to www.middleeastmonitor.com

Abu Marzouk : Abbas should end security coordination
CAIRO (Ma’an) — The deputy head of Hamas on Tuesday urged President Mahmoud Abbas to put an end to security coordination with Israel. Cairo-based party leader Moussa Abu Marzouk said that "If I were in Abu Mazen’s place, I would put an end to security coordination with Israel, which enabled settlers to swallow Palestinian lands while we stood watching them." Abu Marzouk told Ma’an that if he were in Abbas’ position, "I would also re-examine the Paris Protocol, making sure the Palestinian economy is not subordinate to the Israeli economy, but rather supported by Arab countries."
link to www.maannews.net

Shaath : Fatah, Palestinian leadership reject Barak plan
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – Fatah and the Palestinian leadership reject Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s proposal for a unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank, party leader Nabil Shaath said Tuesday. In a statement, Shaath said Barak’s plan was a non-started as Palestinians hold the Israeli government completely responsible for discrediting the peace process. Responding to Barak’s remarks about a unilateral disengagement from the West Bank, Shaath said that Barak masterminded Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, and it was Barak who foiled talks between his prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Palestinians.
link to www.maannews.net

Obama UN address passes quickly over Palestinians
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — US President Barack Obama passed quickly over the Arab-Israeli conflict Tuesday at the United Nations, focusing instead on Syria and Mideast protests. "The road is hard, but the destination is clear - a secure Jewish state of Israel and an independent, prosperous Palestine ... America will walk alongside all who are prepared to make that journey," Obama said. A year earlier, the ultimately failed Palestinian bid to seek membership in the world body was a focus of Obama’s remarks to the annual summit. The US opposed the initiative. Also Tuesday UN secretary Ban Ki-moon offered a pessimistic assessment of the conflict, suggesting that time had nearly run out for such a negotiated solution. "The two-state solution is the only sustainable option. Yet the door may be closing, for good," Ban said.
link to www.maannews.net

Dismissed employees warn Fayyad’s government of staging an open sit-in
A number of employees, dismissed from their jobs on political grounds, staged yesterday a sit-in in front of Council of Ministers of Ramallah government to demand reinstatement.
link to www.palestine-info.co.uk

PA : World must act to lift economic barriers
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday called on the international community to compel Israel to ease obstacles restricting the Palestinian economy. At a weekly cabinet meeting headed by Salam Fayyad in Ramallah, ministers said Israeli obstacles undermined the Palestinian people and its PA’s achievements, particularly its efforts to build institutions.
link to www.maannews.net

Doubts cast on PA officials regarding Yasser Arafat’s death
Former PA intelligence officer Jamal Shabaneh has questioned the role of senior "front line" Palestinian officials in the death of the late President Yasser Arafat, Quds Press said on Saturday. Shabaneh, who claims to have a number of documents relating to Palestinian Authority corruption, alleged "most definitely" that Arafat did not die a natural death : "He was killed by Israel through its collaborators from within Arafat’s inner circle of advisers and officials."
link to www.middleeastmonitor.com

Official Israel government Twitter account joins partisan attacks on Obama, Ali Abunimah
Is Obama ready – like Bill Clinton – to “get in a ditch, and fight and die” for Israel ?
link to electronicintifada.net

Senior PA minister suspected of sexually harassing employee
The incident occurred a week ago, according to the employee, and her husband, a member of Abbas’ Fatah party and a former Israeli prisoner, demanded a PA investigation.
link to www.haaretz.com

Israeli rabbi to followers : Burn your iPhones
An influential ultra-Orthodox Israeli rabbi has ordered his followers to burn their iPhones, the latest attempt by the insular community to keep the outside world at bay.
link to news.yahoo.com

Analysis / Op-ed / Human Interest

Meshaal decision to stand down sparks struggle for soul of Hamas
Khaled Meshaal, the political leader of Hamas, has indicated that he will not stand for re-election this year. The decision leaves the way open for the movement to choose a new leader for the first time in nearly 16 years. Two senior officials said that Meshaal announced his decision at a recent meeting of Hamas’s leadership in Cairo. He will remain in his post until a new leader is chosen.
link to www.middleeastmonitor.com

Benny Morris’ connection with Darwish, As’ad AbuKhalil
"“After a brief time on Kibbutz Ein Hahoresh, my parents were part of a group that founded Kibbutz Yasur, which was built on the ruins of the village of Al-Birwa, the birthplace of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. That’s why I feel a certain connection with Darwish,” he notes casually and laughs."
link to angryarab.blogspot.com

GOP backer Adelson accused of commandeering Israel’s media market
Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who has poured millions into GOP coffers, also bankrolls a pro-Netanyahu Israeli newspaper that could transform the media market.
link to www.csmonitor.com

Spineless bookkeeping : The use of Mizrahi Jews as pawns against Palestinian refugees
The calls to define Jews from Arab countries as refugees were silenced in the past by Israeli governments. The change of policy, along with the vigorous activities of Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, have to do with the relatively new recognition that Israel will not be able to escape its responsibility for the Nakba. Yet, leaders of the new campaign should first learn the history of their unfounded idea.
link to 972mag.com

Demise of the Racist Two-State Solution in Palestine, Haidar Eid - Gaza
Racism is the belief that a particular race (or religious group) (my insert) is superior or inferior to another, that a person’s social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics. Racial separatism is the belief, most of the time based on racism, that different races (or religious groups) (my insert) should remain segregated and apart from one another. (as qtd. on ADL website).
link to palestinechronicle.com

From Shatila to Ramallah : an introduction, Nour Joudah
I never thought of myself as a teacher, and when my mother used to suggest the profession to me as a kid, I would flinch. But lately, that’s exactly who I am finding myself becoming – not just as an answer to our obsession with the “what do you do ?” question, but as a general identification of how I see myself.
link to electronicintifada.net

AIPAC is ‘seamlessly linked to Israel’ and should register as foreign agent — Grant Smith
The formidable Grant Smith has written another killer article skewering AIPAC. Reminding readers how recent AIPAC-initiated legislation compels American citizens to fork over hard-earned tax dollars at a time when we’re struggling economically.
link to mondoweiss.net

The Red Crescent in action, Shaden Ahmad Fogha
Shaden followed a Red Crescent ambulance team in the Tubas area as they dealt with victims of different car accidents, and captured the images with her camera.
link to www.palestinemonitor.org

Privatizing Israel’s Legal System, Stephen Lendman
Israel’s Mandatory Arbitration Bill (MA) is troubling. Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman proposed it. It mandates compulsory arbitration for civil suits filed in Magistrate Courts. The Court president or deputy may order it. Litigants have no say. Neeman claims it’s needed to reduce excessive case loads. His hidden agenda has other things in mind. Judicial fairness will be compromised if he prevails. On September 4, Knesset members discussed it ahead of second and third readings. Strong opposition exists. More on that below. Arbitration is an alternate form of dispute resolution. It’s common in commercial disagreements. Costly litigation is avoided. So are conventional court proceedings.
link to sjlendman.blogspot.com

The legacy of Golda Meir is more alive than ever, Gideon Levy
The voice of the woman who was the embodiment of Israeli arrogance emanates from more throats now than it has for a long time.
link to www.haaretz.com

Israel, the 51st State ?
How the GOP Is Courting West Bank Settlers to Vote for Mitt Romney. Critics of the Israel lobby’s influence in US politics often say, tongue-in-cheek, that Israel should be named the 51st state. But this presidential election season, that sentiment comes close to the reality of how the Republican Party is treating the country. Israel, like the 50 states in the US, will be a source for votes and money and a backdrop for presidential campaigning.
link to www.infocusnews.net