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Image by David Baldinger

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THE MIDDLE EAST 'ENERGIZERS'

THE MIDDLE EAST 'ENERGIZERS'

A DesertPeace Editorial

Are we witnessing another Annapolis in the making? A week from today the (non elected) President of the United States will meet with the (self appointed) President of the Palestinian Authority and the Prime Minister of Israel.

Before his arrival, Bush has already insulted the entire nation of Palestine by making a point of announcing that he has no intention of placing a wreath at the tomb of Yasser Arafat. Arafat was/is more than just a name, he was the symbol of Palestinian resistance. Bush's declaration of his intentions is a slap in the face on the people of Palestine. This is not the way to start off on a peaceful solution. The non recognition of Hamas combined with this insult will certainly result in failure.

Peace will not result from any treaty signed by people who represent nothing and nobody... Bush and Abbas are those people. Peace must be negotiated by representatives of the parties involved, this will not be the case at next week's meeting. The event will be nothing more than an energizing exercise, giving power to the situation itself. Nothing will change.

The image below represents what happens when the true representatives of a peaceful solution are rendered powerless. This must be recognised by the world and the world must insist on a reality solution... not the one planned.

The Witness
The doves, without eyes, beaks, or legs, are caged within barbed wire. How can peace move forward in such circumstances? Israel has wrought havoc to the Palestinian infrastructure, destroying our agriculture and industry. But as long as Palestinian mothers bear children, the next generation will pass on the torch of resistance. Tamam Al-Akhal

2008 ~~ 60 YEARS OF ISRAELI OCCUPATION

Image 'Copyleft' by Carlos Latuff
SIXTY YEARS IS WAY TOO LONG FOR THIS TO HAVE GONE ON ~~ PALESTINE MUST BE FREE NOW!

60 Years of Nakba

May 15th, 1948, was the Palestinian Al-Nakba (the Catastrophe), or what Israel refers to as the “Day of Independence.” To Palestinians, it symbolizes the dispossession, displacement, and uprooting of 800,000 Palestinians from their homes in what then became Israel. Many of these refugees and their descendants, who now number more than 4 million, still languish in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and surrounding Arab countries. While Al-Nakba embodies the first major wave of forced expulsion of Palestinians from their land, Israel’s premeditated campaign of ethnic cleansing continues to this very day.

PICKS OF THE DAY ~~ JANUARY 1st

(Ben Heine © Cartoons)
From ~~~


Annie's Letters ~~ News clips of the day


I Love Munich


Random Pottins


The Holly Tree


Sabbah's Blog

POPE BENEDICT XVl: "WORLD PEACE IS A DIVINE GIFT"

(Ben Heine © Cartoons)

Today, January 1st has been declared World Day of Peace. Peace is a 'divine gift' according to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVl...

It will only become a reality if his words are heeded and not shoved aside by those that profit by war.... it can happen if we all work together.... Christians, Muslims, Jews and those of all other faiths.... the 'family of man'.

Let us all forge together to a New World Order in 2008!

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI opened the New Year on Tuesday with an appeal for world peace, calling it a "divine gift" and stressing the role of family as the foundation for it.

The Catholic Church celebrates January 1 as its World Day of Peace, and during a midmorning Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, the pope called for "the gift of peace: for our families, our cities and the whole world.

"We all aspire to leave in peace, but real peace ... is not the simple conquest of man or the result of political agreements: it is above all a divine gift," Benedict said.

At the same time, the pope added, peace is a "commitment that must be pursued with patience."

Benedict also returned to a theme that has been central to his papacy when he spoke of the importance of the traditional family based on the marriage between man and woman.

*************************************************

CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS APPEAL TO THE POPE TO END THE SIEGE IN GAZA

Muslims and Christians of Gaza Strip make an appeal to the Pope

Urgent appeal to His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI

"From the land of prophets, peace and blessings and from the besieged Gaza we send you our heartfelt greetings as well as toward all Christians around the globe. On behalf of the besieged, poor and simple people of the Gaza Strip, we pass on our greetings on the occasion of Christmas. We aspire from our only God to bring security and peace to all nations in this world.

To His Holiness the Pope,

We address His Holiness in honour of your vital religious roles, effective actions and echoing sermons. We address and urge His Holiness on behalf of Palestinians, especially the besieged Gazans who live under a devilish siege imposed by Israelis, to intervene without delay. Israeli occupation has imposed comprehensive siege in which all crossing points and terminals are closed, preventing people from moving in and outside the Gaza Strip.

Serious ramifications have resulted from this illegal siege and flagrant violations of human rights laws have been committed. People are not allowed to obtain medicine or travel abroad for treatment! Basic medical devices are out of order now and Israelis have forbidden the entry of spare parts into Gaza, causing more health complications for patients. So far, 51 patients have died due to Israeli closure and medications shortage. Additionally, more than 1,500 are about to encounter imminent death for the same reason and other patients are exposed to further deterioration of their health, including people who suffer from chronic illness, infants and the elderly.

In addition to that, projects of infrastructure, building and development have been stopped! All raw materials needed in these projects are prevented from entering the Gaza Strip. Moreover, more than 3,900 factories and industrial enterprises have shut down, which resulted in leaving 140,000 unemployed! Poverty rates have reached incredible levels pushing more people under the poverty line and towards misery and bringing about a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Thus, we appeal to His Holiness to hear and eases off our pains, sufferings and ordeals caused by occupation. We appeal to you to intervene by your sermons that touch hearts and consciences and call for ending this siege. This siege is an obvious violation against human rights laws, Geneva conventions and all international human charters.

We aspire in God and You, a just word of wisdom and support for our just Palestinian cause.

Happy New Year and Merry Christmas.

With all respect,

Pastor of Latin sect in the Gaza Strip,

Manuel Musalam &

Popular Committee Against Siege Chairman,

Independent Parliamentarian in Gaza Strip,

Jamal N. El Khoudary"

PALESTINE 2008 ~~ A NEW YEAR, A NEW BODY COUNT

Abir Aramin, one of the 373

As we enter the new year we look back at the old one... we mourn those that are no longer with us, but we especially remember those that left us before their time.... murdered in cold blood. Children, women, innocent civilians.... may their memory be a blessing for all of humanity...

Third of Palestinians killed by Israel in 2007 were civilians: report

JERUSALEM (AFP) - More than one third of the Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in 2007 were civilians who were not involved in hostilities, an Israeli human rights group said in a report released on Monday.

"In 2007, about 35 percent of those killed were civilians who were not taking part in the hostilities when killed," said the report by the B'Tselem organisation.

Out of the 373 Palestinians killed, 131, or some 35 percent, were civilians who were not involved in fighting, the report said -- a decrease of 19 percentage points from the 2006 figure of 54 percent.

The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in 2007 nearly halved compared to the previous year -- 373 died up to December 29 this year, while 657 were killed in 2006, it said.

The majority of the Palestinians who died by Israeli fire in 2007 were killed in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas -- an Islamist movement pledged to Israel's destruction -- violently seized power in June.

Since then, Israel has launched regular air and ground operations in the densely populated Palestinian territory aimed at stopping the near daily firing of rockets and mortars from the territory.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said she could not immediately comment on the report because the army had not yet received a copy of it.

The report also said that 2007 saw a "deterioration in many other measures of the human rights situation in the occupied territories. The primary one is the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, which has declined to an all time low, following Israel's siege on the area."

Following Hamas's seizing of power, Israel in September declared Gaza a "hostile entity," upping restrictions on the movement of goods and people to the impoverished territory.

On the Israeli side, seven civilians were killed this year by militants, three of them in a suicide bombing attack in the Red Sea report town of Eilat in January, two in rocket attacks on the town of Sderot near Gaza, and two by gunfire in the occupied West Bank.

Six members of Israel's security forces were also killed in 2007, including two off-duty soldiers shot dead in Friday near the West Bank town of Hebron.

Also read THIS report from B'Tselem... 373 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in 2007

SUBLIMINAL BLESSINGS FROM WATCHING STAR TREK

I'll bet that most of you didn't know it, but every time you watched a Star Trek episode you were blessed...

Watch THIS to see why and how....

You might notice that there was more true Judaism practiced on the starship Enterprise than in Israel itself..... a state that seems to have forgotten the values spoken of in the clip.

Oh, and Blessings to all of you for the New Year!

WHEREVER YOU ARE ~~ HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Image 'Copyleft' by Carlos Latuff

Wherever you are, whoever you are... heres hoping that you and yours have the best in the New Year. Let us hope that 2008 will usher in a lasting peace and justice for all of humanity... a year of love and understanding for all of us.

AFRIKAANS	gelukkige nuwejaar
ALBANIAN	Gëzuar vitin e ri
ALSATIAN	e glëckliches nëies / güets nëies johr
ARABIC	aam saiid / sana saiida
ARMENIAN	shnorhavor nor tari
AZERI	yeni iliniz mubarek
BAMBARA	bonne année
BASQUE	urte berri on
BELARUSIAN	З новым годам (Z novym hodam)
BENGALI	subho nababarsho
BERBER	asgwas amegas
BETI	mbembe mbu
BOBO	bonne année
BOSNIAN	sretna nova godina
BRETON	bloavezh mat / bloavez mad
BULGARIAN	честита нова година (chestita nova godina)
BURMESE	hnit thit ku mingalar pa
CANTONESE	kung hé fat tsoi
CATALAN	bon any nou
CHINESE	xin nian kuai le / xin nian hao
CORSICAN	pace e salute
CROATIAN	sretna nova godina
CZECH	šťastný nový rok
DANISH	godt nytår
DUTCH	gelukkig Nieuwjaar
ESPERANTO	felicxan novan jaron feliæan novan jaron (Times SudEuro font)
ESTONIAN	head uut aastat
FAROESE	gott nýggjár
FINNISH	onnellista uutta vuotta
FLEMISH	gelukkig Nieuwjaar
FRENCH	bonne année
FRISIAN	lokkich neijier
FRIULAN	bon an
GALICIAN	feliz aninovo
GEORGIAN	გილოცავთ ახალ წელს (gilocavt akhal tsels)
GERMAN	ein gutes neues Jahr / prost Neujahr
GREEK	kali chronia / kali xronia eutichismenos o kainourgios chronos (we wish you a happy new year)
GUJARATI	sal mubarak
GUARANÍ	rogüerohory año nuévo-re
HAITIAN CREOLE	bònn ané
HAWAIIAN	hauoli makahiki hou
HEBREW	shana tova
HINDI	nav varsh ki subhkamna
HMONG	nyob zoo xyoo tshiab
HUNGARIAN	boldog új évet
ICELANDIC	farsælt komandi ár
INDONESIAN	selamat tahun baru
IRISH GAELIC	ath bhliain faoi mhaise
ITALIAN	felice anno nuovo, buon anno
JAVANESE	sugeng warsa enggal
JAPANESE	akemashite omedetô
KABYLIAN	asseguèsse-ameguèsse
KANNADA	hosa varshada shubhaashayagalu
KAZAKH	zhana zhiliniz kutti bolsin
KHMER	sur sdei chhnam thmei
KIRUNDI	umwaka mwiza
KOREAN	seh heh bok mani bat uh seyo
KURDE	sala we ya nû pîroz be
LAO	sabai di pi mai
LATIN	felix sit annus novus
LATVIAN	laimīgu Jauno gadu
LIGURIAN	feliçe annu nœvu / feliçe anno nêuvo
LINGALA	bonana / mbula ya sika elamu na tonbeli yo
LITHUANIAN	laimingų Naujųjų Metų
LOW SAXON	gelükkig nyjaar
LUXEMBOURGEOIS	e gudd neit Joër
MACEDONIAN	srekna nova godina
MALAGASY	arahaba tratry ny taona
MALAY	selamat tahun baru
MALTESE	is-sena t-tajba
MAORI	kia hari te tau hou
MARATHI	navin varshaachya hardik shubbheccha
MONGOLIAN	shine jiliin bayariin mend hurgeye (Шинэ жилийн баярын мэнд хvргэе)
MORÉ	wênd na kô-d yuum-songo
NORWEGIAN	godt nyttår
OCCITAN	bon annada
PERSIAN	sâle no mobârak
POLISH	szczęśliwego nowego roku
PORTUGUESE	feliz ano novo
ROMANCHE	bun di bun onn
ROMANI	bangi vasilica baxt
ROMANIAN	un an nou fericit / la mulţi ani
RUSSIAN	С Новым Годом (S novim godom)
SAMOAN	ia manuia le tausaga fou
SANGO	nzoni fini ngou
SARDINIAN	bonu annu nou
SCOTTISH GAELIC	bliadhna mhath ur
SERBIAN	srećna nova godina
SHIMAORE	mwaha mwema
SHONA	goredzwa rakanaka
SINDHI	nain saal joon wadhayoon
SINHALA	suba aluth avuruddak vewa
SLOVAK	stastlivy novy rok
SLOVENIAN	srečno novo leto
SOBOTA	dobir leto
SPANISH	feliz año nuevo
SRANAN	wan bun nyun yari
SWAHILI	mwaka mzuri / heri ya mwaka mpya
SWEDISH	gott nytt år
SWISS-GERMAN	es guets Nöis
TAGALOG	manigong bagong taon
TAHITIAN	ia orana i te matahiti api
TAMIL	iniya puthandu nalVazhthukkal
TATAR	yaña yıl belän
TELUGU	nuthana samvathsara subhakankshalu
THAI	สวัสดีปีใหม่ (sawatdii pimaï)
TIBETAN	tashi délek
TURKISH	yeni yiliniz kutlu olsun
UDMURT	Vyľ Aren
UKRAINIAN	Z novym rokom
URDU	naya saal mubarik
UZBEK	yangi yilingiz qutlug' bo'lsin
VIETNAMESE	Chúc Mừng Nǎm Mới / Cung Chúc Tân Niên / Cung Chúc Tân Xuân
WALOON ("betchfessîs" spelling)	bone annéye / bone annéye èt bone santéye
WELSH	blwyddyn newydd dda
WEST INDIAN CREOLE	bon lanné
WOLOF	dewenati
YIDDISH	a gut yohr

WILL REJECTION OF HAMAS RESULT IN AL QAIDA'S GROWTH?

Image 'Copyleft' by Carlos Latuff
In plain simple English, Palestinians are sick and tired of being bullied by outside forces. They have lived now for six decades as a dispossessed nation, for four of those decades under the most brutal occupation of the century.

Their political choices have been rejected both by Israel and the West leading to a situation of political frustration that can and will lead to a 'backlash' unseen until now.... one that will surely be regretted by her enemies. One view on this situation was just sent to me, it's quite an interesting take on the situation....

Narrowing Hamas’ horizons means one thing: Helping al-Qaida

Comment by Khalid Amayreh in Occupied East Jerusalem

The day when Israel, the West and puppet Arab regimes will be regretting their approach to Hamas may not be very far-off.

Israel and its guardian-ally, the US, along with despotic Arab regimes, calculate that the callous blockade of the Gaza Strip and systematic savaging of its 1.5 million human beings will eventually force Hamas to fall on its knees and cause many Palestinians to shun the movement.

However, in light of evidence accumulating through the years, the weakening of Hamas would more likely lead to the consolidation and strengthening of the al-Qaida among Palestinians, both as an ideology and an organization.

The unrelenting savaging of innocent Gazans, coupled with an affronting peace process under whose rubric Israel is building more settlements on occupied Arab land, is only preparing the most fertile ground for the growth of al Qaida.

This is why Osama Bin Laden’s recent statements that al-Qaida will intensify its operations in Palestine should be take very seriously.

Bin Laden seems to know what he is talking about. According to usually-reliable Palestinian sources, al-Qaida succeeded of late in recruiting hundreds of young Palestinians to its ranks, many of them erstwhile members of Hamas and Fatah.

One Gaza journalist described al-Qaida as “ constantly winning more hearts and minds.”

“Al-Qaida is telling potential recruits that the only way for salvation in this world and the hereafter is the way of al-Qaida and that Hamas made a grave mistake when it believed the western lie about democracy and that it is now paying the price for its naivety and blunder.”

In short, the misery that transcends every aspect of life in Gaza is the perfect environment conducive to the consolidation and growth of al-Qaida.

A few weeks ago, I asked Palestinian political analyst, Hani al Masri, if he thought that the weakening of Hamas would be good news for Fatah in the long run.

His answer was interesting.

Masri pointed out that the Palestinian arena would soon become a fertile soil for all kinds of radical organizations, not just al Qaida, since many Palestinians, religious and otherwise, would feel they had nothing to lose from engaging in an extended and uncompromising political program.

“A serious weakening of Hamas would have far-reaching consequences, with the main ramification being the exodus of thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of erstwhile Hamas’ supporters, to al-Qaida.”

Abdul Sattar Qassem, Professor of Political Science at the Najah University in Nablus, believes most Palestinians who might shun Hamas (because of its perceived moderation) wouldn’t join Fatah or similar factions.

“Some of them might join Fatah,” he argued, “ but the vast majority wouldn’t because Fatah’s way of thinking and behavior doesn’t attract them. These people are religious and are well-inculcated in religious doctrine, and it would be difficult for them to join Fatah and retain their religiousness.

“Al-Qaida would be their natural destination.”

Israel, the West and certain Arab regimes think that an implosion of Hamas’s house will enable Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to capitulate to Israeli hegemony without having to worry about a serious Palestinian opposition to his rule.

However, this thinking is misleading and very short-sighted. Today, the Palestinian society is very much experiencing a state of frozen rage resembling the days and weeks preceding the outbreak of the Aqsa intifada in the fall of 2000.

Indeed, a general examination of the prevailing mood in the Main Palestinian street reveals that the outbreak of a new uprising is only a matter of time. The frozen rage can simply go off anytime. Palestinian forbearance seems to have reached its limits.

However, unlike the previous two uprisings, the new intifada would witness the active appearance of a new un-Orthodox player, namely the al-Qaida organization, with its ideological nihilism, fearlessness and unmatched radicalism.

In the short run, an effective, high-profile presence of al Qaida in the occupied Palestinian territories might provide an unprecedented asset for Israel, especially from the propagandistic view point. It would also provide the Zionist state with a ready-made, plausible and effective excuse to take even more draconian measures against the Palestinian population.

Hence, it is not out of question that Israel, for its own strategic reasons, may well be interested in seeing al-Qaida gain a certain foothold in the West Bank and Gaza.

But in the long run, Israel, too, stands to lose. Israel can’t fight al-Qaida using the same tactics it has been employing against Hamas. Al-Qaida pays very little attention to public opinion and has nothing to lose in terms of a civilian apparatus—because it has none. Moreover, al-Qaida has no MPs or political activists whom Israel can round up and throw in jail, nor does it have charities and other institutions which the Israeli army can close down.

Indeed, al-Qaida, a secret and secretive organization, would be much more immune to Israeli retaliations than is Hamas, a generally pragmatic organization that pays attention to the balance of power and wouldn’t cross certain red lines in its low-combustion confrontation with Israel.

This means that al-Qaida would be freer and bolder than Hamas in attacking mainly Israeli civilian targets, using suicide bombings.

Some Palestinian leaders predict that should al-Qaida succeed in gaining a real foothold in the occupied Palestinian territories, not only Israelis would be targeted, but Palestinians as well, probably including Hamas itself.

“We are talking about a nihilistic organization which believes in open-ended confrontation until the Day of Judgment,” one Hamas leader intimated to this writer.

“Al Qaida views all those opposing, even differing with its ideology, as enemies that ought to be liquidated. I wouldn’t even rule out the possibility that al-Qaida would detonate car-bombs in the heart of Palestinian cities in order to spread terror in the hearts of those who might dare oppose its ways.”

Jordan, which has large concentrations of Palestinians, also stands to sufferer immensely as a result of the mushrooming of al-Qaida in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Then, numerous Palestinians wouldn’t stand idle watching their brothers in faith across the River Jordan being scuttled and decimated by Israel, the US and treasonous Arab regimes that are at Israel’s and America’s beck and call. Hence, suicide bombings and similar acts of terror might then turn Jordan’s present political and economic stability upside down.

Egypt, too, would suffer, and no amount of security precautions would prevent determined and frustrated al-Qadia militants from targeting the soft-underbelly of the Egyptian economy, namely Egypt’s tourism industry.

This is more than just a prophecy of doom and gloom, for the writing is already on the wall for those who are willing to see.

This week, the collective Palestinian frustration reached unprecedented levels when hundreds of helpless Palestinian pilgrims returning from Mecca, having performed the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, were kept stranded like livestock at the Egyptian port of Nwebie’.

The Egyptian authorities reportedly were still refusing to allow them to return to their homes in Gaza via the Rafah border crossing. The pilgrims refuse to go through an Israeli-controlled border-crossing, fearing arrest and torture and lengthy imprisonment for their suspected affiliation with Hamas.

Meanwhile, Israel keeps murdering Palestinians in large numbers and is expanding Jewish settlements while PA leaders, like wide-eyed imbeciles, are watching helplessly, not knowing what to do, apart from imploring Condoleezza Rice to pressure Olmert to respect the Annapolis spirit.

Well, who is then pushing the Palestinians to join the ranks of al-Qaida?

BENAZIR BHUTTO ~~ THE RELUCTANT 'MARTYR'

(Ben Heine © Cartoons)
BENAZIR BHUTTO ~~ THE RELUCTANT 'MARTYR'

A DesertPeace Editorial

The second 'martyr' in one family.... the first being the father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto... the second the daughter, Benazir. Let's take a short look at the political history of the Bhutto family..

Benazir Bhutto's father, former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was removed from office following a military coup in 1977 led by the then military chief General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who imposed martial law but promised to hold elections within three months. But later, instead of fulfilling the promise of holding general elections, General Zia charged Mr. Bhutto with conspiring to murder the father of dissident politician Ahmed Raza Kasuri. Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was sentenced to death by the martial law court.

Despite the accusation being "widely doubted by the public", and despite many clemency appeals from foreign leaders, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged on 4 April 1979. Appeals for clemency were dismissed by acting President General Zia. Benazir Bhutto and her mother were held in a "police camp" until the end of May, after the execution.

In 1985, Benazir Bhutto's brother Shahnawaz was killed under suspicious circumstances in France. The killing of another of her brothers, Mir Murtaza, in 1996, contributed to destabilizing her second term as Prime Minister. Source

Yesterday, Benazir's son and husband took over the reins of the Pakistan People's Party. Looking at the name of the political party, one wonders if Bhutto Family Party might not be a more fitting one.

Benazir Bhutto's political motives have always been questionable. *She was an inconsistent democrat at best, and a willing tool of US imperialism, repeatedly making conciliatory gestures to a discredited military regime when she could afford to take a stand against it. *Source

She was also considered to be a friend of Israel. It is for these reasons that I question her motivation and question also if she is in fact a martyr, who or what did she die for?

The following essay by Robert Fisk is also worth reading...
'Who Killed Benazir Bhutto ? They don't blame al-Qa'ida. They blame Musharraf'

(Ben Heine © Cartoons)

PICKS OF THE DAY ~~ DECEMBER 30th

(Ben Heine © Cartoons)



From ~~~


Annie's Letters ~~ Press Briefs


Palestinian Pundit


Sabbah's Blog


Umkahlil

'LET MY PEOPLE GO' ~~ ISRAELI OCCUPATION IN EGYPT

Image by Ismael Shammout
There's no other way to put it.... Egypt is literally under the control of its zionist neighbours. Over a thousand observant Muslims are being punished for going on a pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca.

The joint excuses of both the Israeli and Egyptian governments show the disregard for the very lives of the Palestinian people, a people who for 60 years have literally been at the mercy of both Israel and the Arab world.

The rhetoric we hear is nothing but nonsense.... leading many to believe that the only reason many of these pilgrims made the trip is so they can 'sneak' into Israel on their return trip. NONSENSE!

They just want to go home and be with their families... a crime?

The want to return to their jobs... a crime?

There is a crime involved in all of this, it's called silence and complicity... where are the protests from the rest of the world? Doesn't anybody give a damn??

Egypt moves stranded Palestinian pilgrims to temporary Sinai camps
By The Associated Press

More than a thousand Palestinian pilgrims, including members of the militant Hamas group, were put in camps in the northern Sinai on Sunday until a dispute over how they will return to the Gaza Strip is resolved.

The Palestinians arrived in the Egyptian port city of Nuweiba in southern Sinai on Saturday after completing their pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia but have resisted Egypt's attempts to have them return to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, where they must go through Israeli security checks.

Some of the pilgrims are members of the radical Islamic group Hamas, which seized Gaza in June, and they fear Israel will arrest them if they return through Kerem Shalom. Instead, they want to cross into Gaza through Rafah, which is outside Israeli control.

The 1,166 Palestinians who left Nuweiba Sunday boarded 29 buses headed for El-Arish, some 250 kilometers north of the Sinai port city and less than 25 kilometers west of Rafah, the security official said.

A total of 3,060 Palestinians have arrived in Nuweiba on two ferries, and authorities plan to send a second batch of buses to transport those who remain, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Hamas representatives had indicated Saturday that some 1,900 pilgrims were stuck in Nuweiba, but this figure apparently only included those on the first ferry.

Egypt's attempts to force the pilgrims to use the Kerem Shalom crossing have outraged Hamas supporters in Gaza, who staged large-scale protests on Saturday.

Al-Jazeera television aired interviews with the pilgrims before they left Jordan in which they showed a paper Egypt allegedly asked them to sign saying they would to return to Gaza through Kerem Shalom.

Israel fears that if the pilgrims are allowed to return to Gaza through Rafah, Hamas militants might get through and sympathizers could smuggle cash to the Islamic group.

Some 7,000 demonstrators gathered at the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing Saturday waving Palestinian and Hamas flags and demanding the pilgrims be allowed to enter.

Hamas lawmakers echoed these calls, saying Egypt has a moral obligation to bring the pilgrims home as quickly as possible by allowing them to cross through Rafah.

The leader of Egypt's largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, called on the Egyptian authorities Sunday to exercise their historical duty to the Palestinians and let them return to Gaza using the Rafah crossing.

Egypt has set up 11 temporary camps in El-Arish to house the pilgrims until authorities come up with a solution to the current crisis, security officials said.

KURT VONNEGUT ~~ HIS LAST INTERVIEW

Definitely one of the greatest men of American letters of the 20th century, Kurt Vonnegut passed away earlier this year at the age of 85.

And the US news media all but ignored him....

Why?

Here are some of the simple truths he spoke
about whenever he was given a public forum.....




Also see THIS post..

WOMEN ~~ YA'GOTTA LOVE THEM

Women in Black protesting in Jerusalem Friday. (Tomer Neuberg/Jini)

Women have traditionally been the motivating force and inspiration of the various peace movements throughout the world. They work tirelessly and seem to have a special energy unknown to the males in the species.

This has been true in the States, most of Europe and in Israel. One group of these courageous women, Women in Black, just marked the 20th year of their formation. They have demonstrated continuously against the Israeli occupation and have pledged to continue until they achieve their goals.

Following is a report from their 'anniversary demo'.....

Women in Black marks 20th year, but occupation continues
By Tamara Traubmann, Haaretz Correspondent

The hundreds of women and the few men who on Friday celebrated the 20th anniversary of Women in Black didn't seem to know whether the event they were attending was a somber one, or a party. After all, the cause the movement has championed for the past 20 years has not been achieved. The Israeli occupation still exists.

"It's the only demonstration that has been going on for 20 years now," one of the participants said.
The place where the crowd of 250 women gathered was the same place where Women in Black always hold their Friday demonstrations: Paris Square in Jerusalem. As always, they were carrying signs against the occupation.

"The peace movements have succeeded. We have thousands of demonstration hours," Hanna Safran boasted. "We have all been very creative. We've marched naked, we went down to the Territories. Our message has been accepted, but it hasn't put an end to the occupation and the wrongdoings that go along with it. In fact, things only got worse."

The movement was born in late 1987, weeks after the outbreak of the first intifada, which turned the attention of most Israelis to the very fact that the Palestinians were living under occupation. The first demonstrators, Safran among them, gathered at Paris Square, not far from the prime minister's official residence. They stood in silence, carrying signs the shape of a stop sign, reading: "Stop the occupation."

Within several months, other women joined the protest, demonstrating at junctions outside towns and cities. The members of Women in Black represent the full spectrum of the Israeli Left, from Labor to the anti-Zionists.

Two of the most frequently asked questions Women in Black have had to answer over the years were why women, and why black. They say the absence of men in their ranks is meant to allow women to make their voice heard in a militaristic society.

As for black, there are several versions as to why the color was chosen as a trademark.

"What can I tell you, it's just a visually strong color," said Debbie Lerman from Tel Aviv.

One characteristic of Women in Black's protest rallies was the torrent of swear words, curses and fulminations they usually elicited from passersby, who vent out their hostility toward the organization. But nowadays they are no longer targeted.

Women in Black members explain that the hostility subsided because 20 years ago, a congregation of women engaged in political protest was perceived as defiant ipso facto.

"That's why the first demonstrators were spat on, and subjected to sexist and bigoted remarks from passersby," one activist said.

In Israel, Women in Black has failed to bring about the end of occupation. But the movement has become a role model for other countries, where certain sectors of the population have to endure humiliation, oppression and racism.

At present, Women in Black organizations exist in over 40 countries, the Israeli members say. In India they are protesting religious discrimination. In the former Yugoslavia, various splinter states saw the formation of Women in Black protesting the war. In Germany they address fascism, nuclear weapons, and the Israeli occupation, too.

PICKS OF THE DAY ~~ DECEMBER 29th

(Ben Heine © Cartoons)

From ~~~


Annie's Letters ~~ Press Roundup


Chet


Liberal White Boy


PeacePalestine ~~ and

EGYPT PUTTING THE GEARS TO PALESTINIANS

Over two thousand Muslims returning from their Pilgrimage to Mecca are being prevented from returning home to gaza... not by Israel, but by their ally Egypt.

Palestinians have been a 'pawn in the game' for years as far as the Arab world is concerned alowing the zionists to continue with their genocidal policies against them.... SHAMEFUL!

Hamas urges Egypt to open Gaza border to pilgrims

Fearing Israel will arrest wanted militants making their way through with Muslim pilgrims returning from Mecca, Hamas demands more than 2,000 stranded Palestinians be allowed to return to Gaza through Rafah crossing

News Agencies

Hamas Islamists called on Egypt on Saturday to open its shuttered border crossing with the Gaza Strip to let more than 2,000 Palestinians return to their Gaza homes from the annual haj pilgrimage in Mecca.

Hamas, which controls Gaza, is demanding that Egypt reopen the Rafah crossing to allow the pilgrims to pass directly into the coastal territory rather than force them to pass through Israeli border posts first.

Hamas fears Israel will arrest wanted militants among the pilgrims.

Hamas officials estimated that 2,200 Gaza pilgrims were stranded on ships at an Egyptian port on the Red Sea.

Israel believes some of the militants may be carrying money for Hamas and other groups.

"We are aware of the Israeli and American pressures on Egypt, and we urge Egypt to reject these pressures and to allow the pilgrims a safe return through Rafah," Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told a news conference.

Hamas said a 62-year-old woman who fell ill died aboard one of the ships, which have been stranded for a second day.

Abu Zuhri said the Gaza pilgrims have rejected Egyptian demands that they agree to return through Israeli-controlled crossings.

Egyptian officials had no immediate comment.

Israel and the United States are pressing Egypt to do more to prevent the smuggling of guns, explosives and funds into the Gaza Strip.

Egypt has rejected Israeli complaints about the smuggling, accusing Israel of trying to distract attention from settlement.

In mid-December, Israel allowed hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza to cross Israeli territory on their way to the annual haj pilgrimage.

Earlier in the month, about 2,200 pilgrims heading for Mecca crossed from Gaza into Egypt through Rafah.

READING THE NEWS WITH BLINDERS ON

(Ben Heine © Cartoons)

Some people absolutely refuse to see the truth even when it's right in front of them. They are so biased, so full of hatred that they cannot conceive something they believe in is being criticised.

Zionists fall into this category, refusing to see the evil deeds committed by the State of Israel. There was a featured article published this week in the Wall Street Journal critical of Israeli polices in the occupied West Bank. It is presented below, followed by a response to it found in a zionist Website, condoning all that was said in the original article.... proving my point that many people read the news with blinders on...

The Plight of Bethlehem
Why Christians can't visit the holy shrines in Jerusalem.

BY KENNETH L. WOODWARD

A mere nine kilometers separates Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, from Jerusalem, where he was crucified, died and was buried. Pilgrims can easily visit both the Church of the Nativity and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in half a day--as long as they are not Palestinian Christians. Israel's security wall, its restrictive exit permit system, roadblocks and military checkpoints now make it impossible for most Holy Land Christians to visit the shrines that, for all Christians, make the Holy Land holy.

Like East Jerusalem, Bethlehem is part of the West Bank, not the State of Israel. Temporary exit visas to go from one to the other to worship--or see a doctor or even visit relatives--are hard to come by, of brief duration even when granted, and always subject to the whims of Israeli soldiers.

The squeeze is economic as well as religious. Few producers in Bethlehem can get their goods to markets in Jerusalem. Fewer buyers can get to Bethlehem to sustain its markets. Tourism, a huge segment of the city's economy, is up since 2004, but it is still far from robust.

When last I was in Bethlehem, in 2000, an average of more than 91,000 tourists visited the city monthly. This year, the average is half that number. When buses do arrive, tourists are routinely whisked in and out without time to shop. As a consequence, nearly 100 hotels and restaurants have closed since my last visit. More than 250 workshops that made olive wood crèches, mother-of-pearl crosses and other religious souvenirs have disappeared too. And so, of course, have many of the stores that sold them. In sum, where Bethlehem once enjoyed one of the lowest urban unemployment rates in the Holy Land, it now has one of the highest--by some estimates as much as 60%.

Recently on a visit, former British prime minister Tony Blair tried to boost tourism to Bethlehem, even though his own country, like the U.S., discourages its citizens from traveling there. He also called on Israel, which bans its own citizens from traveling to the West Bank, to ease its restrictions.

Israel, of course, must protect its security. But it cannot blame the Christians' dire circumstances on the second intifada: Muslims are suffering just as much as the tiny Christian minority. Indeed, Bethlehem has historically been one place where Muslim-Christian relations have been remarkably friendly. Now, however, urban Bethlehem finds itself encircled by Israeli settlements, and where the settlers go, there follows the concrete wall, topped in places by razor wire and snipers' towers.

For example, the wall is being completed around Beit Jala, separating this Christian village from 70% of its lands, which are mostly owned by Christian families. Some of the families are attempting to contest the confiscations in court, but construction--and the confiscation--goes on.

In Bethlehem itself, the wall severs the city from nearly three-fourths of its western villages' remaining agricultural lands, as well as water resources that have served the region since Roman times. This area contains much of Bethlehem's remaining room for development and its nature reserve, where city dwellers took their children.

From the Church of the Nativity, Christians can also look out on Har Homa ("Wall Mountain"), a verdant Jewish settlement on a hillside that was formerly Christian land. Since the Annapolis, Md., meeting just a few weeks ago, the Israelis have approved construction on 300 additional homes--despite an official complaint from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice--that further constrict the city's population.

Unfortunately, many Christians in the Holy Land have no legal recourse to this absorption of their lands and property. As part of the 1993 treaty between Israel and the Vatican, by which the Holy See officially recognized the State of Israel, Israel was to codify the rights of Christian churches and institutions as part of a comprehensive agreement. But because of disputes over taxation of churches and related issues, the Knesset has yet to act. The Franciscans, the Sisters of Charity and other religious groups both Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox have had property confiscated and Christian housing destroyed.

Israel cannot afford to lose the Palestinian Christians: They have long represented a moderating force. A century ago, they accounted for 25% or more of the Holy Land population. Today, they represent less than 1.5%. Since 2000, Bethlehem alone has lost 10% of its Christian population.

Palestinian Christians regard their ancestors as the first Christians, and no doubt some of them were. They call themselves the "living stones" of Biblical Christianity, preserving ancient communities and traditions in the midst of repeated armed conflicts. They deserve to keep their land and work for "peace on earth, goodwill toward men."

In this crisis they deserve the support of all Americans, not just Christians. And not just at Christmas.

Mr. Woodward is a contributing editor at Newsweek.

Inflammatory Bethlehem Column in Wall Street Journal
by Ricki Hollander, Alex Safian, PhD

In late December every year the media carries articles or Op-Eds reworking "the Bethlehem Formula" where "Israel’s critics describe the impact of Israeli security measures on the city’s current residents without describing why these measures are in place." Key items usually i