Israeli Arab charged in Hezbollah plot to kill IDF chief

Gabi Ashkenazi

Rawi Fuad Sultani, 23, admitted he met a Hezbollah activist in a summer camp in Morocco one year ago and told him he had information on Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi, who worked out at the same gym as he did in the town of Kfar Saba.

For full article, visit http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/08/31/83491.html

According to the charge sheet, Sultani first made contact with Hezbollah agents at a multi-national Arab summer camp in Morocco organized by the Israeli Arab political party Balad. Lebanese Hezbollah agent Salman Harev, who also took part in the camp, spent much of the summer lecturing the Israeli Arab participants on his group’s struggle.

For full article, visit http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1111344.html

Rawi Sultani

Sultani’s father, Attorney Fuad Sultani, said that his son was exploited and that he is innocent. “My son was maliciously exploited by these agents. The accusations are apparently politically-based,” said the senior Sultani, who is representing his son.

For full artic le, visit http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3769627,00.html

The National Democratic Party or Balad, which represents Israel’s Arab minority and is named in charges against Sultani as having funded his trip to Morocco, reacted angrily to news of the arrest.

“This experience shows us how the police and security services exaggerate this type of incident and make mountains out of molehills. We maintain that Sultani has the right to be presumed innocent,” the party said in a statement.

For full article, visit http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090831/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictlebanontrial_20090831122055

Correspondents say the allegations raise further questions about Lt Gen Ashkenazi’s security, two weeks after it was disclosed that his credit card details and a gun in his office had been stolen by a soldier.

For full article, visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8230726.stm

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Gideon Levy: Morality’s chief of staff

Allowing a child to drive an IDF-issued all-terrain vehicle? Forbidden. Killing children carrying white flags? Allowed. Lying about allowing your wife to drive an army-issued car? Forbidden. Killing women? Allowed. Administrative minutiae – a wife driving her husband’s car, a son driving an ATV and the hazing of fresh recruits – are grave matters. Mistakenly killing civilians is permitted.

For full article, visit http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1107746.html

Palestinian Agriculture Ministry: Gaza fishing boat was not booby-trapped

The ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that Israel’s account of Monday’s events was a “trumped up story aimed at escalating aggression against fishermen” and “an excuse for piracy and destruction.”

The Agriculture Ministry said it spoke with eyewitnesses who swore the boat contained no explosives, and that it exploded only when an Israeli warship shelled it.

For full article, visit http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=37107

Booby-trapped boat explodes near Israeli ship

A booby-trapped fishing boat yesterday exploded near an Israel Navy vessel off the northern Gaza coast, in a failed terror attack.

No one was wounded in the blast, which occurred about 300 meters from the Gaza coast, near the Israeli border.

For full article, visit http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1078390.html

According to Gaza fisherman Nizar Ayyash, the small boat exploded after Israeli forces opened fire on it at sea; no injuries were reported in the strike.

Others in Gaza earlier said they had heard a “massive explosion” out at sea, but did not immediately know the cause.

For full article, visit http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=37085

Amos Harel: Cast Lead expose / What did the IDF think would happen in Gaza?

A large part of the operation was conducted by remote control. “The Palestinians are completely transparent to us,” says A., a reservist whose brigade was posted in the Gaza Strip. “The Shin Bet has people everywhere. We observe the whole area from the air and usually the Shin Bet coordinator can also tell you who lives in what house.” The Shin Bet defines the enemy and, for the most part, someone who belongs to Hamas’ civilian welfare organizations (the da’awa) is treated the same way as a member of its military wing, the Iz al-Din al-Qassam.

For full article, visit http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1074218.html

Evidence piles up against ‘moral’ Israel

Tel Aviv says its unmanned aerial vehicles are able to distinguish fighters from civilians. More than 48 Palestinian civilians, the daily reveals, were killed in Israeli drone attacks in Gaza.

In one of the most heartbreaking cases, a Palestinian family of six was killed in Gaza City while sitting around and having tea in their courtyard.

Signs bearing the names of three classmates who where killed when the Israeli army shelled Jebaliya in the past weeks where on display in the classroom.

Source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=89494&sectionid=351020202

Gaza witness: IDF troops told us ‘Go south or you’ll get shot’

“When Israel Defense Forces soldiers expelled Abir Hijeh, her five children and their neighbors from homes in a Gaza war zone, she said they warned her in broken Arabic: Go south or you might get shot.

The group went the wrong way and came under fire from Israeli soldiers. Hijeh was wounded and her 2-year-old daughter was killed.”

For full article, visit: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1074408.html