What Actually Happened in Fatah’s Elections?

In his WINEP speech Dayton acknowledged this crackdown when he said, “I don’t know how many of you are aware, but over the last year-and-a-half, the Palestinians have engaged upon a series of what they call security offensives throughout the West Bank, surprisingly well coordinated with the Israeli army.” He further admitted that during the 22-day Gaza war last winter, U.S.-trained Palestinian security forces prevented Palestinians in the West Bank from organizing mass protests against the Israeli army, which ironically allowed for the reduction of the Israeli military presence in the West Bank in order to redeploy those troops to Gaza. Dayton added, “As a matter of fact, a good portion of the Israeli army went off to Gaza from the West Bank— think about that for a minute, and the (Israeli military) commander (of the West Bank) was absent for eight straight days.”

For full article, visit http://www.counterpunch.org/amin08142009.html

Fatah wins student council elections at Birzeit, Hebron universities

The Student Council elections held Wednesday at the West Bank University of Birzeit indicated a drop in Fatah power: The movement won 24 seats, as opposed to 22 seats won by Hamas.

Though winning the elections, Fatah still lost one seat to Hamas since the previous elections. Palestinian sources said the results were indicative of Hamas’ success in the West Bank, despite the recent arrests of its senior members.

Source: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3701813,00.html

Results were as follows:

The Shabibeh Students Bloc (Fatah) 24
Islamic Wafa’ Students Bloc (Hamas) 22
Leftist Bloc (PFLP) 4
Palestinian People’s Party 1
Islamic Jihad – withdrew

Several other parties competed in the elections but failed to gain seats.

At Hebron Polytechnic University the Fatah-affiliated Shabibeh Students Bloc won the student council elections after winning 26 out of 31 seats.

For full article, visit http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=37150

“I’ll be voting for Fatah because my family supports them, and they also have a good political programme for students,” said Ranim Omari, a second-year Psychology student. “Ultimately, both Fatah and Hamas are Palestinian movements and we should be supporting more unity.”

Two first-year female students aged 18 – one of them wearing the Kufiya, a symbol of Palestinian resistance that is increasingly becoming synonymous with Fatah and the PLO – expressed their confusion, although they said they will be voting Hamas.

“I don’t understand anything. I’m only wearing this because it’s fashionable, I like it, but I think I’ll vote for Hamas because they are leading the resistance,” she said.

http://english.ramattan.net/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=40211

Israel eyes extra security for foreign minister who lives in West Bank

Security sources said the intelligence community has concluded that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman would become a target of such groups as Hamas, Hizbullah and Islamic Jihad. The sources said Lieberman’s statements, regarded by Arabs as provocative, as well as his residency in the West Bank would garner assassination attempts.

“The fact that he lives in the West Bank makes him a much easier target than say if he lived in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem,” a security source said.

For full article, visit http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2009/me_israel0273_04_06.asp

Bat Ayin teen killed, child hurt in ax attack, terrorist escapes; Israeli forces overrun nearby villages

A 13-year old boy was murdered yesterday and a seven-year old boy lightly injured when an ax-wielding terrorist attacked them in the settlement of Bat Ayin in Gush Etzion yesterday.

A local man fought the terrorist and managed to pry the ax away from him, but the assailant managed to escape. The murdered youth, Shlomo Nativ, was laid to rest at the regional cemetery of Gush Etzion, not far from Kfar Etzion. The funeral procession, attended by hundreds of people, was relatively quiet.

For full article, visit http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1076212.html

Israel’s Magen David ambulance service attempted to rescue the 16-year-old but failed. The seven-year-old child injured in the attack was taken to Hadassah Hospital in East Jerusalem.

According to news reports the alleged attacker managed to flee.

In the nearby Palestinian village of Safa, Israeli forces overran the town, imposing a curfew and raiding houses. According to witnesses, more than 50 military vehicles have invaded the village. According to witnesses in the village, 28 Palestinians have been detained. It is not known where they are held.

There were also reports Israeli troops were firing in the air and that Israeli forces also invaded the town of Surif.

For full article, visit http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=36829

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a group linked to the Fatah faction led by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, claimed responsibility in a statement, citing Israeli “crimes of occupation”.

Emergency services described the attack as a Palestinian “terrorist attack”.

Police said they had launched a manhunt for the assailant, who is believed to have been attacked by security guards.

Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman, said the attacker used the axe and a knife in the assault in Bat Ayin, a settlement south of Jerusalem.

For full article, visit http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/04/200942112127779385.html

Bat Ayin is home to religious settlers who have refused to build a security fence around their community, as is the rule in most other settlements, saying fences are a sign of insecurity.

There was no word on whether the attacker acted alone.

Less than an hour after the attack, the Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility. A murky terrorist group calling itself the Martyrs of Imad Mughniyeh also claimed responsibility for the attack in an e-mail sent to the Associated Press.

For full article, visit http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1238562890875

“I managed to block his arm, we fell to the ground and struggled but he managed to run away. I called for help, another resident fired at him, but missed.

“When I got up I saw a child wounded in the head. I cried to warn his mother, who ran towards him.”

For full article, visit http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6021615.ece

De facto security forces release seized Fatah affiliates in Gaza

The Hamas-run Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip said the Fatah men were detained for questioning after holding an “illegal factional meeting”. Fatah officials later confirmed that the three men had been released.

For full article, visit http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1074452.html

Jihad’s Khaled Al-Batsh told Ma’an on Saturday that the Fatah affiliates were held over their intentions to hold political activities at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City.

For full article, visit http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=36739

Hamas detains Islamic Jihad member for ‘violating ceasefire’

According to a spokesperson for the Hamas-run government, de facto security forces had promised “to bring those responsible to account” for the attack on an Israeli patrol in the Al-Qarara area of Gaza earlier that day.

For full article, visit http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=36722

Demand Israel release child held without charge or trial

Hamdi al-Ta’mari was arrested for the first time from the family home in Bethlehem at 4:00am, on 25 July 2008. He was woken by the sound of Israeli soldiers banging on the front door.

Hamdi’s hands and feet were immediately tied and he was ordered to lie on the floor, as soldiers pointed their assault rifles and flashlights at him. While on the ground, a number of soldiers slapped, kicked and beat him with their assault rifles. His hands were tied so tightly that they began to swell. After 15 minutes, Hamdi was blindfolded and placed on the floor of a military vehicle.

For more, visit http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10426.shtml

Clashes between Al-Quds Brigades and Israeli troops east of Khan Younis

The brigades said Israeli Special Forces penetrated the border wall east of Al-Qarara and tanks opened fire on citizens’ homes and a group of fighters who quickly withdrew from the area.

Source: http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=36695