Settlers uproot olive groves near Ramallah

Local sources reported that fundamental Israeli settlers of the Neve Yarden illegal settlement outpost, uprooted on Friday olive groves that belong to residents of Al Mghayyir Palestinian village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

The settlers carried their attack out while Israeli soldiers just stood idle and watched them, the sources added.

Several Palestinian residents tried to stop the settlers but the army intercepted them, and barred them from protecting their orchards. 

Clashes were reported as a number of Palestinians hurled stones at the army who protected the settlers instead of removing them out of the Palestinian orchards. 

Source: http://www.imemc.org/article/61584

“Terrorist” targets popular at West Bank gun range

“The most shocking part was when they had us shout ‘terrorist’ before getting into shooting position,” he said.

He enjoyed the course and felt it was safe but morally questionable. “It could indoctrinate children with racist beliefs. It was sad to hear young kids express such racism. It makes the likelihood or reaching a peaceful settlement to the (Middle East) crisis seem more difficult.” In the group before his, James said, excited children shouted to their parents about being able to “shoot the Arabs.”

For full article, visit http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE57K1BC20090821?rpc=60

Settlers attack Palestinian homes in Hebron

A group of fundamental Israeli settlers attacked on Friday evening a number of Palestinian homes in Tal Romedia neighborhood, in the southern West bank city of Hebron.

For full article, visit http://www.imemc.org/article/61587

Israeli troops fire teargas at Al Jazeera reporter

Israeli soldiers fired on Friday teargas at a reporter working for Al Jazeera English as she was covering the nonviolent weekly protest against the Annexation Wall in Bil’in village near Ramallah.

For full article, visit http://www.imemc.org/article/61589

Jacky Rowland was reporting Friday from the West Bank village of Bil’in, explaining to viewers about the separation fence and the weekly protests that take place there, when Israeli troops began firing tear gas at the protesters and then directly at her.

For full article, visit http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1112501.html

Israeli army kidnaps 7 Palestinians from southern West Bank village

The Israeli army kidnapped 7 Palestinian men during an overnight invasion of the village of Beit Ummar, close to Hebron in the southern West Bank, on Monday.

Source: http://www.imemc.org/article/61532

The pitfalls of Palestinian national consciousness

Fatah leaders, including some of those newly elected to the Fatah Central Committee, pray next to the tomb of the late Fatah leader and founder Yasser Arafat, 13 August 2009.

True, the conference was held on Palestinian soil, but, ironically, under the watchful eye of Israeli soldiers. The failure of the Palestinian Liberation Movement (Fatah) to achieve any of its declared goals was symbolized in its holding the conference under occupation. This reflects not only the demise of Fatah — the faction that dominated the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for decades — but the general demise of contemporary Palestinian nationalism.

For full article, visit http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10728.shtml

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

New 14 Cases of H1N1 reported in the West Bank

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Monday that the cases are mostly in the central west Bank city of Ramallah and was discovered through out last week.

The Health Ministry added that the number of those infected with H1N1 Flu in the west Bank have reached 121. Local sources said most cases are among people that were traveling abroad or Israel.

Source: http://www.imemc.org/article/61469

Rory McCarthy: How settlements in the West Bank are creating a new reality, brick by brick

In March 1975 there was no Ma’ale Adumim. After Israel captured and occupied the West Bank in the 1967 war the site was earmarked as a an industrial park. A group of activist settlers from the Gush Emunim — the Bloc of the Faithful — arrived one morning and built a water tower and simple concrete hut. They were removed that day by soldiers, but in December that year the first settler families moved in for good. The city then grew exponentially.

The site is a compelling example of how infrastructure is used to extend Israel’s reach around and well beyond the settlement. Ma’ale Adumim’s buildings seem to cover one main hilltop, but the municipal area of the settlement is nearly 20 square miles, the size of Tel Aviv. Then there are the Israeli-built roads connecting Ma’ale Adumim with nearby smaller, satellite settlements, as well as a major highway running further east past Jericho and cutting across the West Bank until it reaches the Jordanian border. Israel is now building its steel and concrete West Bank barrier around Ma’ale Adumim and the other smaller settlements, effectively incorporating them on the “Israeli” side and by doing so taking another 24 square miles of the West Bank.

For full article, visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/24/west-bank-settlements-israel

West Bank tourists can get visas if they visit Israel, too

The Interior Ministry promised the Tourism Ministry last week that tourists who declare that they intend to enter only the Palestinian Authority will have their passports stamped “Palestinian Authority only,” while tourists who declare they intend to visit both Israel and the Palestinian Authority will have their passports stamped with a regular B2 tourist visa, according to an internal memo from a senior Tourism Ministry official.

The memo, written in English, was circulated on August 20 by Tourism Ministry senior deputy director general Raphael Ben-Hur to senior ministry officials.

For full article, visit http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1109608.html