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Chronicling the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict October 25, 2006 Jerrold Cohen, Ph.D., Editor E-mail jerrmar2@verizon.net Receiving This Newsletter Purpose of this Newsletter [Maps not included in this web re-publication of the newsletter] October 25, 2006 Reports IIncursions, invasions, arrests, demolitions, etc. Gaza Strip: Israeli police and the Shin Bet allowed publication of a story about a smuggling attempt at the Karni Crossing. Explosives were found hidden in a cage after smugglers managed to get them through the crossing, which is heavily guarded. There were 6 kilograms of TNT, headed for Tulkarm. The story was released for publication on Wednesday. (17) West Bank: Israeli troops launched a wide-scale arrest campaign in Bethlehem, particularly in Obaidiya and Beit Fajjar towns, east and west of Bethlehem, respectively. Israeli sources said that the campaign targeted 10 alleged Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists. (6) WAFA says the number arrested was 11, including three brothers and elders. This campaign took place before dawn. At roads and entrances of Tubas, soldiers launched a search campaign, and arrested Omar Faqha, 19, making the 12th Palestinian arrested overnight in the West Bank. (10) A Palestinian family from Kafr Yatta near Mount Hebron and a family from Kafr Dura near Bethlehem got into a fight over land located in Beit Jala, in which the family from Kafr Yatta began burning cars belonging to the family from Kafr Dura. 16 Palestinians were injured in these clashes. (14) A fight broke out between a group of Palestinians and 50 Jewish settlers at an olive harvest in the Gilad Shomron area. Allegedly the settlers started it. They attacked the Palestinians. The groups threw stones at each other until police arrived. Three Palestinians and one settler were wounded. "The Palestinians appeared at the harvest without coordinating their arrival with security forces." (15) Local Arabs had been peacefully harvesting olives near the outpost for two weeks, but on this day they were joined by a large group from Far'ata village without prior notification. The Jewish settlers said they sent two men on horseback to investigate the new arrivals, and they said that the men were attacked with large rocks. (23) Israeli government The recognition of Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu party by Olmert has already received criticism by Arab Knesset lawmaker Mohammed Baraka. Lieberman is a hawk "frequently accused of making racial slanders towards the Arab population." Baraka accused Israeli leaders of supporting, encouraging, and nurturing fascism in the Knesset. He accused Israel of having a warmongering policy that threatened the safety of the region. (2) The Israeli Defense Ministry denied reports to the effect that Defense Minister Amir Peretz ordered destruction of only illegally built structures in the West Bank, and not entire outposts. It was rumored that he had backtracked on plans to completely remove the outposts. A Defense Ministry official said that Peretz merely wanted to give the settlers time to voluntarily evacuate the outposts. He gave the Yesha Council a deadline of next Monday for voluntary evacuation. (12). Israel National News says that Prime Minister Olmert and Defense Minister Peretz have agreed that only illegal structures in Yesha would be destroyed, not merely those that were unauthorized. "According to the agreement, only structures built on private Arab-owned land in Judea and Samaria will be removed. (21) Lebanon According to the German newspaper, the Daily Mirror, two Israeli air force jets flew low over German boats patrolling the Lebanese coast, and fired twice over a German ship that was part of the UNIFIL force sent to maintain the truce. (25) The German Defense Ministry official who gave the report also said that the Jets released infrared countermeasures to ward off any rocket attack. (26) "The IDF said Wednesday that reports that IAF jets had fired shots at a German ship that was part of the UNIFIL force in Lebanon were completely untrue." (27) Palestinian government Activists have been successful in recruiting Palestinians in Bethlehem and surrounding villages for service in the Executive Forces, which fall under the leadership of Hamas. Locals worry that such recruiting, while there is lack of communication between Fatah and Hamas, could bring another outbreak of hostility, particularly since Fatah activists opened fire on Hamas members a few months ago, accusing them of trying to form a Bethlehem force. (3) Palestinian Authority Minister of Education, Dr. Nasser Al Shaer, appealed to Arab leaders of the Gulf states and Algeria for financial assistance "to help save the educational process in Palestine." Teachers and school administrators have been striking for two months in protest of non-payment of salaries. This urgent problem affects more than one million Palestinian students. (4) Khaled Mashaal, Hamas leader currently exiled in Damascus, is going to Cairo this weekend to continue talks on the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit. A new proposal, similar to a previous one involving the release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails, will be considered. (13) The IMEMC version of the story points out that an equally important topic would be bridging the gap between Hamas and Fatah to try to reach an agreement over a national unity government, out of concern that President Abbas would hold elections earlier than expected. (18) Palestinian lawlessness Associated Press photographer Emilio Morenatti was released Tuesday evening after several hours of captivity. He was kidnapped Tuesday morning by unidentified gunmen as he was going to get into an Associated Press car. "No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction and the reasons remain unknown." Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal said the government believed the kidnappers were not affiliated with any political party. (1) Palestinian prisoners Efat Oleyyan, 42, is being detained by Israel for a third consecutive time, an additional six months, without pressing any charges against her or sending her to court. The Palestinian Prisoner Society reported that the military judge at the Ofer Military Court approved a decision by Israeli Internal Security Services to extend her detention without sending her to court. They claim having a secret file against her. The presence of such a file allows authorities to extend the remand of any administrative detainee without trial. Detainees' lawyers cannot know the charges pressed against their clients. Israeli security claimed she is a leader of Islamic Jihad, and a threat to Israel's security. Oleyyan was taken prisoner 10 months ago. She had first been arrested in 1984 and sentenced to 15 years after being charged with planning attacks against Israeli targets. She was released in 1996 after the Oslo agreement. (19) Palestinian resistance The Qassam Brigades (Hamas) claimed responsibility for firing several locally-manufactured rockets at the Jewish Sderot settlement, and also for firing several mortar shells at Israeli troop positions and military vehicles in Beit Hanoun. Israeli sources acknowledged that rockets hit Sderot, stating that two cars were damaged and six settlers had shock. The Quds Brigades (Islamic Jihad) announced the firing of a mid-range Quds missile at Sderot, and participation with the Aqsa Martyr's Brigades (Fatah) in bombing an Israeli armored personnel carrier east of Beit Hanoun. (6) The Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign announced that it is organizing a solidarity week for November 9-16, "in struggle against the land grab and expulsion by Israeli authorities." They are planning protests and festivals. Students in several West Bank universities are planning boycott initiatives. Conferences, mass demonstrations, film screenings, direct action, and other events are planned. (11) 1639 hours: Palestinians threw stones at an Israeli bus traveling near Hawara south of Nablus on Wednesday. There was no damage reported; there were no casualties reported (16) Restrictions in movement Palestinian farmers in Salfit were blocked from their olive groves by locked gates in the Wall separating them from their lands. Banning Salfit farmers from their olive groves takes from them their main source of sustenance. (6) Palestinians waited for six hours at the Jalama Crossing close to Jenin. They claim that one of the soldiers at the crossing cocked his gun and aimed it at them. The crossing was jammed from the afternoon well into the evening. Arab Israelis who wanted permission to visit family members in the Jenin area were among the people waiting. The security check was very slow. People were forced to wait in a small waiting room for hours. The crowding caused one woman and two children to faint. The people then demanded of one of the soldiers that they hurry up the check, pointing out that the waiting caused children to faint. They claimed that at that time the soldier cocked his weapon toward them. (28) Miscellany PIC carries a commentary on Avigdor Lieberman that is worth reading if you don't know about him. Since his party's association with Olmert's Kadima party, he has been given a tentative menu of specific tasks to do in the government. This commentary likens Lieberman to Adolf Hitler. The comments about his attitudes toward non-Jews in Israel give pause for concern about their future. Amayreh, the commentator, jumps on Europe for staying quiet on Lieberman. "Doesn’t Europe, which wasted no time in imposing draconian sanctions on the Palestinian people for electing Hamas, realize that this man is a million light years more extremist and more racist than anything advocated by Hamas?" This quote should give you an idea as to how the rest of the commentary reads. (5) Israeli troops have so far arrested more than 5,000 Palestinian children and 500 women since the outbreak of the Aqsa intifada in September, 2000. Troops have arrested more than 1,500 Palestinians, including women and children, since the capture of Gilad Shalit. At least 183 Palestinian inmates have died while in captivity "due to torture or deliberate metal and neglect." (7) Not only has President Hugo Chávez refused to send the Venezuelan ambassador back to Tel Aviv, he has just put out an order banning Israelis from entering Venezuela. Israeli settlers will not be able to visit their relatives in Venezuela. No Venezuelan Consulate is allowing Israeli settlers to get visas to visit Venezuela. Chávez criticized Israeli "massacres" against the Palestinian and Lebanese civilians. Zionist groups in various Arab countries, unnamed, were reportedly demanding billions of dollars from these countries, alleging that Jews in these countries were forced out, leaving behind their wealth. Groups met in Jerusalem, and called Jews who left Arab countries "refugees". (8) In the first nine months of 2006, Israeli troops stormed and ransacked the premises of more than 70 Palestinian charitable societies in the West Bank, "stealing their property and money." Israeli forces typically justified these acts by saying the societies were affiliated with resistance factions. Their operations usually ended up wreaking havoc on the premises, confiscating computers and other documents, and passing military decrees ordering closures for different periods of time. (9) Shai Malca is slated to go on trial Thursday for inciting rebellion against the state of Israel. He is one of the heads of the National Home civil disobedience movement, which organized blocking of the roads throughout Israel to help stop Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan in 1995. He claims that selective enforcement of the law is being used against him, and that his will be a "show trial." Witnesses against him will include people who directly or indirectly blocked roads, but neither of whom stood trial. (20) I learn something new every day. You can't blow a ram's horn near the Western Wall, or you go to jail. It happened on the Rosh Hashanah holiday. Worshipers were in the midst of prayer, one of them blew a ram's horn, and a policeman tried to pull him away. The horn blower did not move, because one must not move one's feet while reciting the silent prayer. The policeman called in on his radio and was given the order to arrest the horn blower immediately. They started dragging him out. When they stopped for a moment he got up and resumed his prayers. Finally the policemen got the idea and allowed him to complete his prayers, before dragging him off to jail. He was released a few hours later. (22) Two Israelis sneaked across
the border into Egypt, they were caught, and both were given a 15-day jail sentence.
One had left Israel despite government restrictions on his leaving the country.
(24) ----------------------------- Samples of this newsletter may be found at http://aberdeenpublishing.com/ocreport.eml . That "eml" extension means that people with Internet Explorer and Outlook Express can see it. Others may not unless their programs recognize the "eml" extension. Links for buying my book, Awakened, may be found at http://aberdeenpublishing.com. -- Jerrold Cohen, Ph.D ----------------------------- Sources Palestine News Network Palestine Information Center WAFA Palestine News Agency
Jerusalem Post International Middle East
Media Center Israel National News Yedioth Ahronoth
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