Israel seizes Gaza-bound aid ship

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Written by BBC News BBC News

Published: 05 February 2009 05 February 2009

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 Israel seizes Gaza-bound aid ship

A Lebanese ship carrying aid for Gaza was stopped by the Israeli navy and is being escorted into port, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak says.

Earlier, officials in Lebanon said Israeli gunboats had fired on the ship before soldiers boarded it, although Israel denied this.

Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora has called on the international community to persuade Israel to allow the shipment through.

In the West Bank, Israeli troops have killed a Palestinian militant.

The Israeli military said Ala a-Din Abu Rop was a local commander of the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad group.

There have been sporadic incidents of violence since Hamas and Israel declared separate ceasefires on 18 January, following Israel's three-week attack on the Gaza Strip.

Activists aboard

The aid ship was reported to have set off from the Lebanese port of Tripoli on Tuesday carrying 50 tonnes of medical supplies, food, clothing and toys for Gaza.

Also on board were eight activists and journalists, as well as the former Greek-Catholic archbishop of Jerusalem, Monsignor Hilarion Capucci, who had served time in an Israeli jail in the 1970s for his membership of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

An organiser of the shipment, Maen Bashur, said the ship was confronted by an Israeli military boat 32km (19 miles) off the Gazan coast late on Wednesday.

"We were informed by the crew that the Israeli forces boarded the ship after firing shots at it," he told the AFP news agency. "We have lost contact with them."

He said the ship was asked to turn back as "two Israeli military helicopters flew over the area and fired flares".

The Israeli military denied troops had fired at the ship. "No gunshots were fired on board during the boarding and capture of the cargo boat," it said.

Ehud Barak said the Israeli navy had requested the ship head towards Egypt, and only boarded it after it headed back towards Gaza.

"At first the ship understood we were prohibiting it from heading to Gaza and steered towards El-Arish [in Egypt]," he said.

"From Egyptian territorial waters it tried to slip into Gaza waters. That is when the Israeli navy boarded it, and it is now taking it to [the Israeli port of] Ashdod."

The army said the crew of the ship would be questioned by police, while all humanitarian goods found on board would be transferred to Gaza.

Search

Ala a-Din Abu Rop was shot dead by Israeli troops during a raid on his home near Jenin, in the West Bank, on Thursday.

An Israeli military spokesman said the 21-year-old was suspected of involvement in attacks on Israelis.

He was fully armed when troops stormed his home, and weapons and ammunition were found during the search, the military said.

Ala a-Din Abu Rop's father said his son had been sleeping, alongside his brothers, when soldiers broke into the house before dawn.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7871874.stm

Published: 2009/02/05 13:22:07 GMT

© BBC MMIX

Oregon Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid Call to join the Academic and Cultural Boycott

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Written by Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel

Published: 05 February 2009 05 February 2009

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Dear Friends and Allies,
Thank you for supporting our campaign to organize a US boycott of Israeli cultural and academic institutions. In just ten days, we have attracted quite a bit of attention - including, unsurprisingly, the blogs and petition campaign attacking us - and have received an amazing outpouring of support.
Here are a few ways you can help:
1. ENDORSE THE BOYCOTT CALL: If you have not already done so, please endorse the Boycott Call by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. that states your name, institutional affiliation if any, and permission to list your name publicly.  The call is posted at: http://usacbi.wordpress.com/
2. HELP SPREAD THE WORD:  Let colleagues and cultural workers know about this campaign, so that we can make this a meaningful national effort and join forces with the worldwide campaign. Please refer anyone you think might be a potential endorser to the website: http://usacbi.wordpress.com/
3. LISTSERVE: We have set up a list for our endorsers and welcome you join it in order to share ideas on organizing etc. If you wish to join this list, go to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
4. ACTION ITEMS: We update the website regularly with action items; check these out and send us any suggestions you have for additional actions.
5. ORGANIZE LOCALLY and get the word out in your local institution or community.
We look forward to working with you in building a US campaign - the time has come for us to seize the moment!

The ACBI Team
__._,_.___

see: http://www.pacbi.org for more information on the Academic and Cultural Boycott

http://www.endisraeliapartheid.org

Barak okays new West Bank settlement in return for evacuation of illegal outpost

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Written by Akiva Eldar Akiva Eldar

Published: 05 February 2009 05 February 2009

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[The whole "Illegal" outposts versus so-called "legal" settlements is a sham and a shell game: under international law, all of Israel's settlements in the West Bank are illegal.]

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has agreed to approve the establishment of a new settlement in the Binyamin region in return for settlers' agreement to evacuate the illegal outpost of Migron. The Migron settlers will move into the new 250-house settlement after leaving the illegal one they built on private Palestinian land.

Today there are 45 families living in Migron, with only two living in permanent housing and the rest in trailers.

The first stage of construction of the new West Bank community will incorporate 50 houses until permission is received for further construction. In order to build the settlement, a detailed construction plan incorporating 1,400 housing units will have to be approved.

The new site is a kilometer away from the built-up section of the Adam settlement, located east of the separation fence. The establishment of the new community violates the conditions of the Road Map, as well as Ariel Sharon's commitments to President George W. Bush in 2003.

Eitan Broshi, Barak's adviser for settlement affairs, stated in an affidavit submitted to the High Court of Justice on Monday that an agreement has been reached with the Council of Jewish Settlements in Judea and Samaria (the Yesha Council) on the establishment of a "new neighborhood within the municipal area of the Adam community."

Broshi did not provide details of the deal with the settlers, although they appear in a meeting summary describing the agreement reached at the Defense Minister's bureau on December 8, 2008. Broshi called the meeting, which was attended by the ministry's legal adviser Ahaz Ben-Ari and representatives of the Civil Administration in the West Bank. Representing the settlers at the meeting were the head of the Binyamin Regional Council, Avi Roe, and the secretary general of the Amana settlement group, Ze'ev (Zambish) Hever.

The document, of which Haaretz has obtained a copy, states that the joint steering committee for the new settlement will formulate recommendations for allocating a block of land on either the north-east or southern edge of Adam, based on considerations of separating the new settlement while still considering the availability of infrastructure and its proximity to the existing built-up neighborhoods. According to the document, it will take a year and a half to plan and prepare the land and infrastructure - if there are no objections, appeals or petitions to the High Court of Justice.

Broshi's affidavit states that constructing the houses will take another 12-18 months, meaning Migron will only be evacuated in another two to three years. Therefore, Broshi asked the High Court not to order an evacuation of the illegal outpost in order to avoid the need for using force, "all within a reasonable period of time considering the circumstances," wrote Broshi.

In January 2008 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Barak informed the court they had decided to evacuate Migron within six months - in other words before August 2008. Olmert and Barak also said that they would take steps during that period to enable a voluntary evacuation, and that the Defense Ministry reserves the right to ask for an extension.

Broshi's affidavit noted a list of 26 illegal outposts at the center of discussions between the settlers and the ministry, all of which were established after March 2001. It also states that some of the outposts have already been evacuated according to Barak's orders, while the discussions are continuing over the others. Broshi listed three tiny outposts already evacuated.

Attorneys Michael Sfard and Shlomi Zacharia, who petitioned the High Court on the evacuation two years ago on the behalf of Peace Now, said Tuesday that experience has taught them that anyone who commits to an evacuation in only another three years has not committed to anything; and in reality, under the guise of evacuation, Barak is expanding the settlements and outposts.

Likud Charter Does Not Recognize Palestine

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Written by Frank Barat - London Frank Barat - London

Published: 04 February 2009 04 February 2009

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In a few weeks, on February the 10th, Israel will elect its new leaders during legislative elections. The three main contenders are Tzipi Livni from the Kadima party (Ariel Sharon’s party), Ehud Barak from the Labour party and Benyamin Netanyahu from the Likud party.

Before the Gaza "war", it was a two-horse race: Livni against Netanyahu, with Netanyahu leading by a good margin in all the polls. The race became a three-horse one thanks to the Gaza “war” launched by Livni and Barak. Barak saw his ratings surge and is now back in the race. Even if he does not get elected, his party will get quite a few more seats than it had planned a few months ago.

But the frontrunner has always been Benyamin Netanyahu and he remains, in the eyes of the majority of Israel’s journalists (Gideon Levy from Haaretz) or activists (Jeff Halper from ICAHD), the more than probable future PM.

The world hopes that this election will be as “clean and democratic” (Jimmy Carter and most international observers said so) as the last Palestinian election which took place in 2006 and saw Hamas win by a large majority.

We know what happened next. To make a long story short, Israel and most of the international community refused to recognize Hamas as a legitimate party and then refused to recognize the newly-formed Palestinian unity government (formed in March 2007).

Abbas, whose goal has always been to be recognized by the US and Israel, kicked Hamas out of the government and formed a new one with Salam Fayyad, a politician and economist made in the US, as PM. A violent pre-emptive war was launched by Hamas against Fatah and Israel/US-backed militias (led by Mohammed Dahlan) and Hamas “took over” the Gaza Strip.

Even if they reacted with surprise and strongly condemned this move, the US and Israel had reached one of their long-term objectives in Palestine. “Divide and Rule” (a strategy used with great success by the US in the course of its history) was back on again with the West Bank becoming the respectable (read: cooperative) Palestinian Authority territory and Gaza turning into the Islamic and evil Hamastan.

An internationally-supported Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip followed and once more, to cut a long story short, the Gaza “war” was launched in December 2008 by Israel. We are here today, more than 1,300 Palestinians dead and 5,000 injured later.

But why did all this happen? What was the official reason given by the Israel and the International community for not recognizing Hamas?

The reason they gave was that Hamas refused to recognize Israel and had a Charter calling for the destruction of the Jewish state.

Everyone (politicians and corporate media leaders) accepted this without asking a few important questions. Which Israel should Hamas recognize? Israel has not yet stated what its international borders are. Should Hamas recognize the Israel of 1948? The Israel of 1967? The Israel of 2009 with its apartheid wall, settlements (settlements building raised by 60 percent in 2008, the year of the Annapolis “Peace Process”, according to a Peace Now report), second class Arab citizens and with East Jerusalem annexed?

Any astute observer could also have objected by reminding people that Hamas (through Haniyeh and Meshal) had said many times over that it was willing to accept Israel as a political entity on the 1967 borders. You do not have to look hard for this, it was stated in the Guardian, Washington Post, amongst others, meaning that Hamas was now in line with most of the international community, accepting a two-state solution.

Another issue came back again and again. The problem is Hamas’s Charter, we would hear. Whatever Meshal or Haniyeh were ready to accept, the Charter came back to haunt them every time.

But what about the Charter of the Likud Party. With Netanyahu and his right-wing party ready to take over, it is only fair to find out a bit more about them.

In the "Peace and Security" chapter of the Likud Party platform, a recent document (1999) it says initially that:

"Peace is a primary objective of the State of Israel. The Likud will strengthen the existing peace agreements with the Arab states and strive to achieve peace agreements with all of Israel’s neighbors with the aim of reaching a comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict."

But then it says about settlements:

"The Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza are the realization of Zionist values. Settlement of the land is a clear expression of the unassailable right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel and constitutes an important asset in the defense of the vital interests of the State of Israel. The Likud will continue to strengthen and develop these communities and will prevent their uprooting."

Therefore annihilating the slightest chance of a two-state solution.

On Palestinian self-rule it says:

"The Government of Israel flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state west of the Jordan river. The Palestinians can run their lives freely in the framework of self-rule, but not as an independent and sovereign state. Thus, for example, in matters of foreign affairs, security, immigration and ecology, their activity shall be limited in accordance with imperatives of Israel’s existence, security and national needs."

Therefore annihilating any chance of seeing a Palestinian sovereign state.

On Jerusalem:

"Jerusalem is the eternal, united capital of the State of Israel and only of Israel. The government will flatly reject Palestinian proposals to divide Jerusalem, including the plan to divide the city presented to the Knesset by the Arab factions and supported by many members of Labor and Meretz."

Therefore annihilating any chance for future peace negotiations because east Jerusalem as capital of a future Palestinian state is non-negotiable for any Palestinian.

We have therefore established that the Likud party charter does not recognize Palestine and will not accept a sovereign Palestinian state. The soon-to-come non-recognition of Likud by the international community and an implemented blockade on Israel should therefore not come as a surprise for Israelis.

- Frank Barat is a peace activist living in London. His articles have appeared on Counterpunch, Zmag, the Palestine Chronicle and other websites and publications. He recently directed "life under occupation" a 25 mins documentary about life in Nablus, occupied Palestine. His book of interviews between Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe is out now (in French). An English version should soon be available. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.