[Centraal] Conflict Palestina & Israel #53

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 oktober 2004 04:32 schreef Finchy het volgende:
Onbegrijpelijk dat Sharon de joden in de Gazastrook deporteerd?

Toch niet.
De deportatie wordt gebruikt om punten te scoren bij de anti-Israëlische krachten in de UN/US/EU.
Waarschijnlijk op hetzelfde moment dat ze terugtrekken uit Gaza of rond die tijd bombarderen ze nucleare doelen in Iran - tot grote ontevredenheid van eerdere genoemde organisaties. Zo hopen ze hun image in de wereld een beetje te balanceren.

quote:

One year later, Palestinians still holding out on killings of guards


The Palestinian Authority continues to withhold cooperation with the United States in its effort to capture those responsible for a bombing that killed three U.S. embassy guards just over a year ago.

Officials said that despite numerous appeals, PA security chiefs have not provided the United States with suspects or information regarding the Oct. 15, 2003 bombing of a U.S. convoy outside Gaza City. [b[The convoy was transporting U.S. embassy staffers and visitors to interview Palestinians for a Fulbright scholarship.[/b]

[On Monday, Israel's military killed six Palestinian insurgents, four of whom crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip, Middle East Newsline reported. At least two of the infiltrators were said to have carried guns, ammunitions and explosive belts.]

"We haven't seen them demonstrate either the will, much less the capacity, to investigate the case seriously," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Oct. 15. "We have seen statements from time to time by Palestinian officials that they know who did it. And if that's true, then they should take immediate action to arrest and prosecute whoever did it."

Officials said the State Department has determined that the bombers came from the ruling Fatah movement, led by PA Chairman Yasser Arafat. They said the department received what officials termed credible information that the bombing plot was planned by Fatah operatives in August 2003 and approved in principle by Arafat.

The American casualties were identified as security guards for the private contractor DynCorp. DynCorp has a contract with the State Department to help protect embassies and staffers around the world.

In February 2004, the PA held a one-day trial for four Palestinians accused of participating in the bombing. Later, the PA High Court ordered the detainees released and they haven't been seen since.

"At the time that they made those arrests," Boucher said, "we expressed certain skepticism that they had arrested the people who were really responsible for these crimes, and felt that there was further serious investigation and action that needed to be taken."

The United States has offered a $5 million reward for information that would lead to the capture of the bombers. But so far officials did not report any breakthrough.

Officials said the State Department has told the PA that U.S. officials would not enter the Gaza Strip until the bombing investigation was resolved.

The department has also warned the PA that Washington would not provide aid to the Arafat regime unless the real killers of the Americans were captured and prosecuted.

quote:

Ugly war over West Bank olive crop
By James Shaw
BBC, Jerusalem

The slopes of the hills around the Palestinian town of Nablus are dotted with olive groves, and on the summits of many of these hills are Jewish settlements.
From a distance it all looks peaceful enough. But on the ground, an ugly land war is raging between Palestinian farmers and Jewish settlers.

Sometimes the settlers throw stones at the farmers. Sometimes they set dogs on them. A few days ago, a villager was shot dead.

On the wooded slopes below the settlement of Tappuah, one Palestinian farmer, Hekmat Abdul Rahman, only feels confident enough to continue with the harvest because he and his workers are accompanied by activists from a group called Rabbis for Human Rights.

"We can't come here," says Hekmat. "This is our land, but when any one of us came to here, they came. They bring dogs."

Hekmat strikes an olive tree with a stick, scattering olives on the dusty red earth. "They do like this. They damaged everything here."

Vigilante group
Further up the hill, two police jeeps are stationed between the olive groves and the settlement. The police are well-armed, with handguns and automatic weapons.

The settlers may be watching what's going on from their observation tower, but while the police are here it seems, they won't make an appearance.

Israeli police are meant to keep the farmers and the settlers apart
One of the activists, David Nir, is giving the police a report on the latest attacks. There has been a whole series of incidents since the harvest started earlier this month.

"Two days ago in another village, there came a group of about 12-13 settlers and they beat up the Palestinians with sticks and the settlers told them: 'Go away, this is not your land, this is ours'," he said.

The entrance to Tappuah is guarded by an Israeli soldier. He rolls back a heavy iron gate to let in visitors.

The settlement is a collection of about 150 single-storey modern houses. Down a dirt track on the edge of the village is a cluster of buildings with a sign which reads Jewish Brigade Dog Compound.

The Jewish Brigade is a vigilante group which has been investigated by the police for setting up illegal road blocks, in order to search Palestinian vehicles for bombs. They say the dogs they train are for patrol work and home protection.

Good relations
Further along the track is the outpost which overlooks the olive groves. A couple of beaten-up portable cabins and a chicken coop surround the watch tower.

A policeman is lying on the roof of his jeep, looking down the hillside through a telescopic sight. Otherwise the place is deserted.

Hillel Yitzhak says settlers want good relations The chairman of the village council, Hillel Yitzhak, is taking tea on his veranda. He has been here for 26 years, ever since the settlement was founded.

He says he doesn't know who is responsible for harassing the olive farmers. Most people in the settlement would like to have good relations with the local Palestinians, Mr Yitzhak says.

"People come and go more or less as they wish. I can take responsibility for 99% of the people here. Maybe there's 1% who I can't," he says.

"A few days ago there was an incident, and we checked it out and we find out that it's someone who came from outside the settlement."

Mr Yitzhak says he blames the politicians on both sides for stirring up bad feelings.

Rabbis for Human Rights continues to file daily reports on the violence and intimidation, here and elsewhere in the northern West Bank.

The police and the activists have only limited personnel and resources. With more than a month to go, it's shaping up to be a difficult harvest.

quote:

.

A schoolgirl riddled with bullets... And no one is to blame

Questions remain after Israeli unit commander is cleared of Palestinian pupil's death

The undisputed facts are these: it was broad daylight, 13-year-old Iman al-Hams was wearing her school uniform, and when she walked into the Israeli army's "forbidden zone" at the bottom of her street she was carrying her satchel. A few minutes later the short, slight child was pumped with bullets. Doctors counted at least 17 wounds and said much of her head was destroyed.

"Some soldiers were lying on the ground and shooting very heavily toward her," said Basim Breaka, who saw the killing from her living room. "Then one of the soldiers walked to her and emptied his clip into her. For sure she died on the second or third bullet. I could see her lying on the ground, not moving. I can't imagine why that soldier wanted to shoot her after she was dead."

This week an army investigation cleared the unit's commander after some of his own soldiers accused him of giving the order to shoot knowing the target was a young girl, and of then emptying the clip of his automatic rifle into her.

On the day she died, Iman left home shortly before 7am for the short walk to school in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood

Guardian Unlimited

quote:

Op vrijdag 22 oktober 2004 04:01 schreef HarigeKerel het volgende:
Ohja dat was dat incident met die Arabisch Israelische officier, heel erg zonde natuurlijk, maar niet geheel onverwacht als je bedenkt dat de pallestijnen kinderen inzetten in de oorlog zoals bv deze 14 jarige jongen met een bom die onder zijn kleding was verstopt.

[afbeelding]

quote:

Op vrijdag 22 oktober 2004 04:15 schreef NorthernStar het volgende:

Nee maar natuurlijk. Zelfverdediging. Daarom loop je naar dat kind toe en schiet haar hoofd aan pulp. Je kan immers niet weten of er een bom in zit.

quote:

Op vrijdag 22 oktober 2004 04:23 schreef HarigeKerel het volgende:

Jij hebt een duidelijk standpunt, een gekleurd standpunt dat is duidelijk.

quote:

.

Explosion Kills Four in Tel Aviv Market
The Associated Press
Monday, November 1, 2004; 4:46 AM


TEL AVIV, Israel - An explosion went off Monday in a crowded open-air market in Tel Aviv, and a TV report said at least four people were killed.

Paramedics said dozens of shoppers were hurt in the blast in the Carmel market.

The cause of the explosion remained unclear, and police were still checking whether Palestinian militants or criminals were involved, or whether it was an accident.

A witness, who was identified only by his first name, Motti, said he heard an explosion in the market. "I thought maybe fireworks, or a gas canister. But then I saw a store, completely destroyed. Goods fell to the ground. People ran away. I lost my glasses and my hat," Motti told Israel Army Radio.

Israel TV's Channel Two, quoting a local fire chief, said four people were killed.

Yeruham Mendola, a spokesman for the Magen David Adom rescue service, said dozens of people were hurt.

Washington Post

quote:

At least 3 killed in blast at Carmel Market in Tel Aviv

A suicide bombing rocked the crowded Carmel Market in central Tel Aviv on Monday, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, at least four seriously, fire and rescue officials said.

Witnesses said the ground shook when the blast went off at 11:15 A.M. near a dairy shop close to the intersection of Rambam and Hacarmel streets. The remains of the bomber were found nearby.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for the attack. The suicide bomber was identified as Amar Alfar, 18, from Askar refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus.

quote:

Op maandag 1 november 2004 13:03 schreef Frances het volgende:
Tjonge tjonge, nu weer een zelfmoordaanslag op de Carmel-marked. Ik heb daar aardig wat voetstappen liggen........

Doorgaan met de veiligheidsmuur zodat ieder gaatje dicht is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

quote:

VS laken Israëls lijst illegale nederzettingen
ANP

WASHINGTON - De Verenigde Staten hebben de Israëlische lijst van illegale nederzettingen op de Westelijke Jordaanoever afgewezen. Washington vindt de lijst die het Israëlische ministerie van Defensie vier maanden geleden presenteerde onvoldoende.

De Israëlische krant Haaretz meldde maandag dat op de lijst 23 nederzettingen staan die zijn gesticht sinds de regering-Sharon in maart 2001 aantrad. Volgens de Amerikanen is het aantal in die periode gebouwde nederzettingen veel hoger.

Israël en de VS wachten nu op een rapport van Justitie en Defensie over de manier waarop de illegale kolonies tot stand zijn gekomen. Mogelijk hebben regeringsfunctionarissen daarbij geholpen.

Premier Ariel Sharon heeft de Amerikaanse president George Bush herhaaldelijk beloofd, illegale nederzettingen die tijdens zijn regeringsperiode zijn gebouwd, te ontruimen.

quote:

Op maandag 1 november 2004 17:16 schreef IPdaily het volgende:

[..]

Biedt de amerikaanse overheid zowaar nog enige weerstand tegen het Israelische landjepik

quote:

Op maandag 1 november 2004 13:13 schreef Frances het volgende:
De zelmoordenaar was dit keer een 18 jarige jongen, eigenlijk nog een kind, toch?!

Een 18-jarige dus opgeofferd door de destructieve sekte van de Hammas met hem de valse belofte meegevend dat hij als martelaar in de hemel terecht komt en dat terwijl hij waarschijnlijk vanavond al voor zonsondergang te rotten wordt gelegd in de grond. Wat een leugens vertellen ze deze kids toch!!!! It,s a shame!!!!!!!