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JPost Middle East- Analysis: Why has the West Bank been quiet? January 6, 2009
- Lebanon doubts Hizbullah will open second front January 6, 2009
- Jordan, Egypt strike balance between Israel ties, angry public January 6, 2009
- Doctors stuck at bottleneck on Egypt-Gaza border January 6, 2009
- Analysis: Hamas desperate for lull January 6, 2009
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- Egypt calls on Hamas, Israel to discuss weapons smuggling into Gaza January 6, 2009
- Venezuela expels Israel envoy over Gaza attacks January 6, 2009
- UN chief slams shelling of UN schools January 6, 2009
- Egypt seeks immediate ceasefire followed by talks January 6, 2009
- Cabinet considers filing complaint over Hamas' use of UN facilities January 6, 2009
- Haaretz.com - News
- IDF shell kills 30 in Gaza UN school; Israel mulls appeal over Hamas fire from UN facilities January 6, 2009Israel is considering submitting a complaint to the United Nations of Hamas' use of the world body's facilities for terror purposes, after 30 people were killed when an Israeli army artillery shell struck a UN school in Gaza. Israeli troops say that they were fired on from the building. ...
- Obama breaks silence on Gaza, calls civilian deaths 'a deep concern' January 6, 2009Barack Obama, who takes over as U.S. president from George W. Bush on January 20, broke his silence about the violence in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, calling the loss of civilian lives in Gaza and in Israel a "source of deep concern for me." ...
- Turkey-Israel basketball game canned after pro-Gaza protesters storm court January 6, 2009A basketball game between a Turkish and an Israeli team was suspended on Tuesday after Turkish fans erupted in protests against the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, Turkish media reported. ...
- French TV airs photos billed as damage from Cast Lead, actually from 2005 January 6, 2009French public television network France 2 on Tuesday revealed they had aired photographs that allegedly showed destruction caused by the Israel Air Force during Operation Cast Lead, which were in fact taken during a different incident in 2005, one in which Gaza civilians were killed by an explosion caused by militants in the Strip. ...
- French President Sarkozy: Deal on Gaza truce 'not far away' January 6, 2009French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday a deal for a cease-fire between Israel and the Gaza Strip was "not far" away. ...
- IDF shell kills 30 in Gaza UN school; Israel mulls appeal over Hamas fire from UN facilities January 6, 2009
World must hold Israel accountable
Fayyad says settlement construction has accelerated since peace talks resumed last year, disappointed with EU decision to upgrade ties with Israel
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad says the world must do more to hold Israel accountable, particularly on settlement expansion.
Fayyad said Saturday that without such involvement “we are not really going to get the desired result of ending this conflict any time soon.”
Fayyad noted that settlement construction has accelerated since peace talks resumed last year.
He says the Palestinians are trying to live up to their commitments and that Israel should be asked to do the same.
A US-backed plan requires Israel to halt settlement building.
The prime minister says he’s disappointed by a recent EU decision to push ahead with upgrading ties with Israel. Fayyad says he’ll keep trying to link an upgrade to halting settlement expansion.
Reeling from Madoff losses, Hadassah determined to recover
Longstanding Jewish philanthropic organization lost staggering $90 million when it fell victim to Bernard Madoff scam. In rare emotional plea, Hadassah president issues call to arms for immediate donations: ‘We’ve had to tighten our belt so much it hurts. But everything we do to meet the challenge is aimed at protecting our core mission of strengthening Israel and the Jewish people’
Yitzhak Benhorin
| Published: | 12.20.08, 08:57 / Israel News |
WASHINGTON – ‘Hadassah’ President Nancy Falchuk issued an urgent call for donations on Friday to America’s oldest Zionist philanthropic organization in the wake of the Bernard Madoff scandal. Hadassah announced earlier this week the organization’s losses stand at $90 million. Falchuk warned that the
organization’s plight was “critical,” and called on both regular donors and non-members to help Hadassh pull through.
Numerous Jewish charity groups are among former NASDAQ Chairman Madoff’s victims.
In an impassioned online video campaign under the banner ‘Times Are Tough – But We’re Tougher,’ Falchuk calls on Hadassah supporters to help the group weather the difficult epoch. “We’ve had to tighten our belt so much it hurts. But everything we do to meet the challenge is aimed at protecting our core mission of strengthening Israel and the Jewish people,” Falchuk says in the video.
“Protecting our mission and our values takes more than planning. That’s why we need every member of Hadassah, and generous non-members as well, to be involved. This a critical moment in which your financial support is so urgent.”
Noting that Hadassah has been hit twice in recent times, with the global economic crisis already having taken its toll on the organization’s finances long before the Madoff scandal broke, Falchuk remains confident.
Recalling that the organization, founded in 1912, has triumphed over numerous difficult events in its history, Falchuk says: “Despite the substantial loss, I want to assure you of Hadassah’s strength, sustainability and commitment,” Falchuk says. “We will get through this crisis because of the wisdom that is our inheritance, because of the fortitude of our leaders and members, and because our life-enhancing and life-saving programs demand it of us.” Hadassah has already said the loss would not affect the building of a new multi-story complex at the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. The new medical center, to be named after Sarah Davidson, will cost $210 million - $75 million of which were donated by William Davidson, owner of the Detroit Pistons.
“I appeal to you directly, simply, humbly,” says Falchuk to supporters. “We need your IMMEDIATE support to continue our projects in Israel. To save lives every day. To educate the next generation that will lead Israel in the years and decades to come.
“Jews have endured for millennia. Hadassah has endured for almost 100 years. With your help, we will continue because times are tough, but we’re tougher
Hamas declares end to Gaza truce
Now it’s official: Hamas declares end to six-month ceasefire with Israel Thursday; group spokesman says Jewish State did not abide by truce obligations, declares that ‘calm is over’
Reuters and Efrat Weiss
| Published: | 12.18.08, 18:11 / Israel News |
Hamas on Thursday declared the end of a six-month-old Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Israel in the Gaza Strip, raising the prospect of an escalation in cross-border fighting.
“The calm, which was reached with Egyptian sponsorship on June 19 and expires on December 19, is finished because the enemy did not abide by its obligations,” said Hamas member Ayman Taha, who represented the group in talks with other Palestinian factions. “The calm is over.”As the lull neared its end on Thursday, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were divided on whether they wanted it renewed.
On its side of the tense border, Israel insisted the “lull” was in the Palestinians’ interest and ought to continue indefinitely.
”Zionist enemy bears responsibility’
Earlier, Hamas announced that the ceasefire will end on Friday and will not be renewed. However, it has not said what will replace it.
“The calm ends on December 19 and Hamas’ position is against renewing the calm,” Hamas Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said.
“The factions’ duty after the calm expires is to protect the people, defend the Palestinian people and confront any aggression … The Zionist enemy bears the responsibility for the end of calm,” he told Reuters.
Tensions were rising throughout Thursday, as the Air Force attacked two stationary Qassam rocket launchers near the Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday.
According to the IDF, one of the launch pads was used to fire a rocket on the western Negev earlier Thursday, and the second launch pad was prepared for a launching.
Early Thursday, Israeli warplanes and helicopters launched strikes against terror infrastructure in Gaza for the first time in six months, this following rocket fire on the western Negev region
US demands Syria cooperate on nuke plan
American ambassador to UN nuclear watchdog says Damascus must decide whether it plans to follow in Iran’s footsteps or cooperate on its alleged atomic program. A failure to do so, he warns, would lead to punishment measures
Roee Nahmias
| Published: | 12.13.08, 09:26 / Israel News |
A warning to Syria: US Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Gregory Schulte says Syria has three months – until the United Nations nuclear watchdog’s next governors’ meeting in March – to start cooperating on its nuclear program, or it will be punished. A failure to do so, he warns, will lead to “punishment measures”.In an interview published Saturday with the London-based Arabic-language al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper, Schulte said that “the Damascus authorities must decide whether they wish to follow in Iran’s footsteps or cooperate.”Schulte also noted that North Korea has neither denied nor confirmed its involvement in the construction of the Syrian nuclear reactor allegedly bombed by Israel.”I hope the Syrians reach the conclusion that they should cooperate, for the sake of their own interests,” he said.
According to Schulte, if Damascus failed to cooperate “this would lead to a negative response, and serious questions would be raised”.
Schulte refused to discuss the sanctions which would be imposed on Syria if it continued its policy, saying that the IAEA’s goal at this time is to convince Damascus to cooperate.”No one is talking about sanctions today. The only thing we are talking about is a probe. The international agency is giving the Syrians an opportunity to cooperate, and they have an extension until the next meeting to cooperate.”
He added that this was not an official extension, but a date on which the nuclear watchdog would reexamine the Syrian nuclear issue, after the matter was discussed in the council’s latest meeting two weeks ago.Despite his reservations, Schulte added that “Syria is engaging in a tactic used by Iran in recent years – the failure to cooperate. This is not the road we want Syria to take. We hope Syria cooperates fully with the agency in regards to what happened in the Syrian desert. If they fail to cooperate, there will be consequences.”
Syrian reactor before bring bombed by Israel (Archive photo: AFP)
Only two weeks ago, the IAEA decided to provide Syria with technical support as part of its efforts to develop a nuclear reactor for peaceful purposes. This decision was a serious blow to the United States and Israel, who have been working in the past year to thwart this move, claiming Damascus is trying to develop nuclear weapons.
The UN nuclear watchdog has been probing Syria since May, following American intelligence reports which stated that Damascus was close to completing the Pyongyang-supervised construction of a nuclear reactor for the production of plutonium, at the site bombed by Israel.
According to reports published last month, IAEA inspectorsdiscovered uranium traces at the secret site attacked by Israel in September 2007. Syria denied claims that it had tried to attain nuclear energy for military purposes, violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty it had signed.
President: Israel knows its end is near
Mass rallies held throughout Iran in protest of ‘crimes against Gaza’s residents’, protestors burn Israeli, American flags. President: Israel knows its end is near
Dudi Cohen
| Published: | 12.12.08, 13:53 / Israel News |
Groups across Iran walked the streets in protest of “crimes of the Zionist regime”, calling “death to Israel” and “death to America” on Friday. Protesters also held pictures of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Ahmadinejad took part in one of the mass rallies, in Tehran, and announced that “the Zionist regime will soon be erased from the earth.
“This regime is trying to influence the elections in Palestine so that its favored candidate is elected,” he said, alluding to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Ahmadinejad at Tehran rally (Photo: AFP)
Ahmadinejad was quoted by the Mehr news agency as telling reporters that Israel was committing war crimes in Gaza “because it realizes that its end is near and that it will soon be wiped off the face of the earth.”
The protestors burned American and Israeli flags, and, with Ahmadinejad’s arrival, chanted “our government’s slogan is death to Israel.”
According to the Fars news agency, the demonstrators also held pictures of Gaza residents and waved signs bearing slogans against the cooperation of some Arab leaders with Israel.
Iranian media reported that among the demonstrators were university students, religious college students, engineers, athletes, teachers and military officials.
Earlier this week Iran’s Red Crescent announced that it is sending a relief ship to Gaza, in the face of an Israeli blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory.
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Iran to send relief ship to Gaza
Islamic Republic’s Red Crescent organization says consignment of 1,000 tons of wheat, sugar, rice and medical supplies to be sent to Hamas-controlled territory next week
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly called for Israel to be wiped off the map and even called the Jewish Holocaust a “myth.”
Iran’s Red Crescent announced on Wednesday that it is sending a relief ship to the Gaza Strip, in the face of an Israeli blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory.”We are sending a consignment of 1,000 tons on a ship to Gaza the beginning of next week,” Red Crescent secretary general Ahmad Moussavi was quoted as saying on the organization’s website.
“There is the possibility of our ship being blocked just as the Libyan ship was blocked,” he added referring to a vessel intercepted by Israel a month ago.
Libya protested to the UN Security Council over Israel’s interception of the cargo ship, which had sought to take 3,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israel said that because Libya does not recognize it, the interception was justified on grounds of national security.”Unfortunately so far the Egyptian government had not allowed us to send the relief items to them by air,” Moussavi said, referring to Gaza’s southern neighborThe official did not disclose the nationality of the ship, but said the cargo will include 500 tons of wheat, 200 tons of sugar, 200 tons of rice, 50 tons of cooking oil and 50 tons of medical supplies.
The Israeli embargo was imposed after the Islamist Hamas seized power in Gaza in June 2007. The blockade has been tightened since the start of November in retaliation for rocket fire on southern Israel.
Tehran is a staunch supporter of Hamas and has rejected all allegations that it is supplying arms to the movement, saying it only provides moral backing.
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UN to discuss Israel’s refusal to allow Libyan ship to dock in Gaz
As representative of Arab nations to Security Council, Libya demands and receives emergency session on ban Israel placed on vessel carrying humanitarian supplies to Hamas-ruled enclave
Yitzhak Benhorin
| Latest Update: | 12.04.08, 00:52 / Israel News |
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WASHINGTON –The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on Wednesday night to discuss Israel’s refusal to allow a Libyan vessel carrying humanitarian supplies to dock on Gaza’s shore.
The session was convened at Libya’s request on the grounds that preventing the ship from reaching the Strip constituted an affront to peace on Israel’s part.
The incident occurred on Monday, when a Libyan cargo ship approached Israel’s territorial waters on its way to Gaza. Palestinian and Libyan officials claimed it was transporting 3,000 tons of food and humanitarian equipment intended for residents of the besieged Strip.
Libya, the current representative of the group of Arab nations on the Security Council, demanded an emergency session be convened following the incident, which forced the ship to veer in the direction of Egypt. Libya’s envoy to the Council slammed Israel’s refusal to allow the humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.
Shalev slams session as PR stunt
But Israeli Ambassador Gabriella Shalev launched a harshly-worded rebuke at the session, accusing Libya of abusing its member status for public relations purposes.
Shalev called the emergency session a cheap trick and lowly provocation from Libya, which she said was advancing its political agenda interests against Israel. Libya does not understand its role as a member of the Security Council, its obligations or responsibilities, she said.
Shalev slammed Libya for having blocked a Security Council condemnation of the shooting attack at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem. She went on to note that if Libya is as concerned with peace as it tries to present itself, why did it not think it right to condemn Hamas when it seized control of the Gaza Strip in a violent coup, at times murdering rivals loyal to Fatah. “Where is Libya when rockets and mortar shells are fired towards Israeli citizens?” She asked, also blasting Libya for not condemning Iran, which she said funds, supports and trains terrorists in the Middle East.
The ambassador continued, saying Libya is toeing the line with the extremists who deny the existence of the State of Israel, naming Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, al-Qaeda, Hizbullah, Iran and Sudan.
Shalev said that if Libya was genuinely intent on transporting humanitarian aid to Gaza, it could have done so through accepted channels or gone through other countries.
Israeli Arab MKs to sail for Gaza
The Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed that the Israeli Navy contacted the Libyan ship. According to the Ministry, the Navy requested the vessel detail its cargo and made clear to the crew that Israel’s policy at present time meant there was also a naval blockade imposed on Gaza. After this, the crew decided to return to sea.
In the past Israel has allowed aid boats headed to Gaza transport equipment, despite the declared blockade. However it now seems Israel has decided to tighten the pressure on Hamas following the renewed rocket attacks on Israel.
Earlier in the day a group of Arab MKs announced they intend to sail to Gaza on Sunday on a ship carrying humanitarian aid; this in light of their objection to the blockade, and in honor of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which commences on Monday.
Since August two boats with left-wing activists have docked in Gaza. The activists were welcomed by hundreds of cheering Palestinians, though the latter were disappointed with the small amount of aid the groups brought with them.
A spokesman for Hamas said at the time this was proof the blockade on Gaza could be broken. Last month 11 European MPs from Britain, Ireland, Switzerland and Italy traveled to Gaza by sea to examine the humanitarian situation there
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