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Dec. 5, 2012
Daily Summary 10/29/2012
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Main NewsTHE OCCUPATION AIR FORCE STRIKES THE GAZA STRIP
The Israeli air force waged early Monday four missile strikes over various areas of the Gaza strip, causing massive damages but no casualties were reported.
One strike targeted a house at the edge of Wadi Ghazzeh, east of al-Bureij camp, destroying it completely and causing massive damages to a nearby factory and a home.
A second air strike targeted an empty area in a-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza city.
The occupation air force shelled in the third strike a site that belongs to “al-Qassam Brigades in Ma`an area, Khan Yunis, south of the strip, causing massive damages. (http://alresalah.ps/ar/index.php?act=post&id=61715)
KING OF BAHRAIN WILL VISIT GAZA NEXT THURSDAY
Informed Egyptian sources said that the Bahraini king Hamad Ben Issa Al Khalifah will visit Gaza next Thursday. The source told Egypt-based “al-Shorouk” newspaper yesterday king Hamad will land in al-Arish airport before his transfer in Egyptian helicopters to Rafah crossing. (http://alresalah.ps/ar/index.php?act=post&id=61701)
ABU MUJAHED: THE RESISTANCE DID NOT ENGAGE IN TRUCE AND THE “GRAD” MISSILES A MESSAGE SENT TO THE ENEMY
THE OCCUPATION ARMY: THE CEASE-FIRE IN GAZA DOES NOT APPLY TO LIQUIDATION OF DANGEROUS ELEMENTS THREATENING THE CALM
The Popular Resistance Committees spokesperson Abu Mujahed said “Nasser a-Dein Brigades is committed to defending the Palestinian people and will not let Israel enjoy impunity for its crime”.
Abu Mujahed pointed in a press communiqué that the grad missiles which his group fired at Be`er Sheva city yesterday were a message to the enemy saying it (Israel) has no right to define the geographical boundaries of the confrontation, thereby central cities will not be excluded from retaliation with missiles to any bloodshed inflicted on the Palestinian people”. He added that the resistance did not engaged in any truce with the occupation and its operatives are on high alert in the field to counter all forms of Israeli aggressions against the steadfast people in the Gaza strip. (http://www.maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=532348)
Meanwhile, the Israeli army radio quoted Israeli military sources saying the understandings related to the recent cease-fire in Gaza do not apply to the liquidation of dangerous elements that Israel considers as threatening to its security.
The sources added that the occupation army will continue with specific and selected liquidations which it considers as endangering the state of calm in the Gaza strip or any groups that would attempt firing rockets or missiles at towns and cities south of Israel. (http://www.samanews.com/index.php?act=Show&id=141456)
RAFAH CROSSING OPENED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS DURING THE EID AL-ADHA FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE SEVEN YEARS
Rafah crossing has been opened in both directions during Eid al-Adha for the first time since seven years, under facilitations that the Egyptian authorities pledged to the Palestinian population in the Gaza strip. (http://www.maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=532345)
THE OCCUPATION AUTHORITIES WILL RELEASE TODAY PRISONER HASAN A-SAFADI
The Israeli occupation is due to release today prisoner Hasan a-Safadi who staged a hunger strike for 168 days protesting holding him in administrative detention.
Hasan`s brother Fou`ad a-Safadi said his brother should be released from “Hadarim” prison at “E`nnab” checkpoint near Tulkarem, citing the Prisoner Club Association will organize for him a mass celebration at “a-Shuhada`” square in Nablus city center.
33-year old Hasan a-Safadi was arrested on 29/6/2011 and staged a first hunger strike on 3/3/2011 which he halted after the occupation authorities agreed to release him under the deal that was reached between prisoners’ representatives and the Israeli prison service. The second hunger strike he staged started on 21/06/2011, after the prison service did not comply with the deal, until 21/09/2012 when an Israeli military court partially accepted his appeal not to extend his administrative detention. (http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/394106)
ARRANGMENTS TO RESUME FAMILY VISITATIONS TO GAZAN PRISONERS ACCORDING TO THE FORMULA BEFORE SHALIT WAS CAPTURED
The Prisoners and Freed Prisoners Association “Husam” said it received a letter from prisoners in “Nafhah” jail saying the Israeli prison service informed them the experimental mechanism of family visitations to Gazan prisoners has expired (after three month) and arrangements are underway to reverse the visitations formula that was applied before the Israeli soldier Gilaad Shalit was captured six years ago. (http://www.alquds.com/news/article/view/id/394163)
FATAH INSISTS ON THE UN BID DESPITE OF FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL PRESSURES AND THE PA CALLS ON FRANCE TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE DRAFT RESULOTION RELATED TO THE PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD
Fatah movement reasserted yesterday its determination to head to the UNGA with a draft resolution, whereby recognizing the Palestinian state on the 1967 occupied territories as a non-state member.
Fatah spokesperson Osama al-Qawasemi said his movement will not bargain or give in to pressures and threats of imposing financial and political siege on the PA, stressing his movement will stood in full capacity with the Palestinian leadership in its UN bid.
In related news, Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Shaath called on France to back the Palestinian move during a meeting with the French foreign minister Laurent Fabius at the margins the 76th conference of the French Socialist Party in Toulouse that was held on 26-28 October.
Shaath affirmed that the Palestinian leadership has not dropped the two-state solution of its agenda but it will head to the UN to preserve this option and maintaining it alive in the face of the attempts of the Israeli government to perish it. (http://www.alquds.co.uk/index.asp?fname=today\28qpt955.htm&arc=data\2012\10\10-28\28qpt955.htm)
THE ISRAELI ARMY REINFORCES THE FENCE ALONG THE BORDER WITH LEBANON
A unit of the Israeli army named as “Kometz” is working on reinforcing the fence along the border with Lebanon and is installing monitoring cameras and modern highly developed intelligence devices, under the pretext of rising concern of the expansion of the Syrian to Lebanon. (http://alhayat.com/Details/448142)
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Arab Press
Challenging politics as usual in the U.S
By Rami G. Khouri* (http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Columnist/2012/Oct-29/193011-challenging-politics-as-usual-in-the-us.ashx#axzz2AZnM8M4R)
Two very different ways for the United States to deal with Arabs and Israelis were on show last week in the United States. The contrast was stunning between the televised debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in which “I Love Israel more than You Love Israel” was the background theme song that permeated most discussions of issues, and a letter to Congress by 15 American religious leaders asking for aid to Israel to be assessed according to law-based human rights standards that Washington applies around the world.
The tilt toward Israeli views at the top of American politics is nothing new, and therefore is not surprising or even meaningful; it is the way politics works in Washington, where Israel usually can expect 90 percent or more of Congress to blindly support it, regardless of the morality, legality or consequences of Israel’s actions. The letter by the 15 church leaders is new, however, and therefore significant, because it reflects a growing recent trend to demand that the American government, churches and others treat Israel like they treat other nations, rather than allow Israel to live by a separate set of rules.
The 15 religious leaders represent many major faith groups in the U.S., including Presbyterians, Evangelical Lutherans, United Methodists, the National Council of Churches, the American Friends Service Committee, the Mennonite Central Committee, the Orthodox Peace Fellowship, American Baptist Churches, United Church of Christ and others.
They stress their evenhanded commitment “to support both Israelis and Palestinians in their desire to live in peace and well-being,” and state that, “it is our moral responsibility to question the continuation of unconditional U.S. financial assistance to the government of Israel. Realizing a just and lasting peace will require this accountability, as continued U.S. military assistance to Israel – offered without conditions or accountability – will only serve to sustain the status quo and Israel’s military occupation of the Palestinian territories. We request, therefore, that Congress hold Israel accountable to these standards by making the disbursement of U.S. military assistance to Israel contingent on the Israeli government’s compliance with applicable U.S. laws and policies,” particularly in the realm of human rights issues and the use of American-supplied weapons.
Holding Israelis and Palestinians alike responsible for the prolonged violence in the region, the church leaders state that “unconditional U.S. military assistance to Israel has contributed to deteriorating conditions in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories which threaten to lead the region further away from the realization of a just peace. Furthermore, such aid sustains the conflict and undermines the long-term security interests of both Israelis and Palestinians.”
They ask for an immediate investigation into possible violations by Israel of the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act and the U.S. Arms Export Control Act, which prohibit assistance to any country which engages in a consistent pattern of human rights violations and limit the use of U.S. weapons to “internal security” or “legitimate self-defense.” They urge Congress to hold hearings to examine Israel’s compliance, and request regular reporting on compliance and the withholding of military aid for non-compliance. They base this call in part on the 2011 U.S. State Department Country Report on Human Rights Practices which details widespread Israeli human rights violations committed against Palestinian civilians, many of which involve the misuse of U.S.-supplied weapons (including separate and unequal legal systems for Palestinians and settlers, confiscation of Palestinian land and natural resources for the benefit of settlers, and violence by settlers against Palestinians).
The letter and the position of the churches it reflects are significant for several reasons. The most important is that this approach brings together American values, laws and foreign policy positions in a manner that the U.S. government itself often fails to do. Its call for a review of foreign aid policies on the basis of American legal requirements is a position that most Americans would support. It also clearly affirms that Israelis and Palestinians alike should have the same rights to peace, security and well-being, pre-empting the usual Israeli outcry that such demands for legal compliance by Israel are acts of reflexive anti-Semitism or some other twisted view.
These three elements demand that American foreign policy reflect American legal and ethical principles, and they are also driven by concerns at the grassroots by ordinary American men and women who dislike how the pro-Israeli tilt in Washington has disfigured the integrity of faith-based values and legal dictates in the U.S. This combination of ethics, law and activism that are anchored in mainstream America causes real problems for the pro-Israel lobbies and associated political thugs in Washington whose intimidating impact centers on politicians in the capital who often value incumbency over legality or morality.
That is how politicians behave; but now, in response to the excesses of that process, we have a refreshing example of how faith leaders behave to redress the ethical imbalances that define American foreign policy in the Middle East.
*Rami G. Khouri is published twice weekly by THE DAILY STAR. He tweets @RamiKhouri
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