For Israel, the Truce Is Over...Gaza Invaded Again

saturday, israeli special forces invaded the gaza strip east of al-maghazi refugee camp, firing at palestinian fighters and injuring at least three. according to some reports, the palestinian fighters, who were affiliated with the nasser salah addin brigades, the military wing of the popular resistance committees, threw an explosive device at israeli soldiers. this was followed by israeli tanks shelling the area east of the refugee camp leading to the injuries.

the brigades reported that at least one israeli soldier was injured in the clashes.

following the shelling, the al-aqsa martyrs brigades, the main military wing of fatah, launched one homemade projectile which landed in an open area in sderot causing no injuries or damage.

the 5 month ceasefire is set to either expire, or be extended on december 18th. at present, numerous palestinian factions have reported a desire to end the ceasefire and return to an active state of conflict. resistance leaders have stated that since israel has failed to make good on its promises to life the siege of gaza and cease offensive attacks, then there is no reason to continue practicing restraint. on sunday, the al-quds brigades, the military wing of islamic jihad released a statement through its spokesmen Abu Hamaz, which read:

“In light of the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip killing more than 17 people this month, the continuation of closing crossing points and tightening the siege, it is a duty of Al-Quds Brigades to retaliate for that aggression...This is a message to the enemy and its Defense Minister Barak that the Al-Quds Brigades will respond to any violation of the ceasefire. Blood for blood, destruction for destruction, and we warn the occupation government that hundreds of projectiles will shower the Israeli settlements bordering the besieged Gaza Strip if the enemy commits any folly against our fighters or our people in the West Bank or in the Gaza Strip.”

hamas' armed wing, the al-qassam brigades have also been publicly questioning the future of the truce. they have called for an all faction gathering, where the future of the truce will be evaluated and discussed. hamas is encouraging all palestinian factions to meet in gaza before december 18th and discuss the ceasefire. through this discussion, hamas hopes to “identify a clear and unified attitude towards [the ceasefire].”

similarly, the spokesmen for the national resistrance brigades, the military wing of the democratic front for the liberation of palestine, stated that all palestinian factions need to agree on the future of the truce, and that such a sustained truce must include the right for palestinian resistance groups to use military force when attacked. the brigades urged the palestinian factions to listen to hamas' offer for a pan-factional meeting, and that through such a meeting, a national resistance strategy can be agreed on.

due to the continued attack-reaction cycle raging in gaza, israel has kept the borders closed. the gazan borders have been largely closed since israel resumed air strikes and invasions on november 4th. throughout the month following, gaza's crossings have only been opened a handful of times for the delivery of humanitarian aid. because of these increased restrictions, gaza is now dangerously low on fuel, medical supplies, basic food stuffs and other necessary items. al shifa hospital, gaza's largest hospital, has announced that after twenty two days of closure, they are now running solely on fuel smuggled through tunnels from egypt which are powering generators.

sources:
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33619
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33622
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33625
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33632
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33633
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1042232.html
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4099&Itemid=1

20th Palestinian Killed Since Israel Resumed Gaza Offensive Attacks

israel has continued to use lethal force in gaza despite its continued promise to stay true to the ceasefire. since november 4th when israel launched air strikes in a defiant violation of the then 5-month old ceasefire, at least 20 palestinians have been killed by the israeli military, while the palestinain resistance has launched numerous salvos of projectiles killing no one.

in this most recent attack on friday, one palestinian man was killed by shelling delivered by israeli warplanes east of khan younis. at least four other palestinain men were injured in the aerial shelling. the warplane appears to have been targeting a grouping of fighters in the town of al-qarara. the fighters were affiliated to the military wing of the popular resistance committees, the nasser salah addin brigades. according to some accounts of the incident, the aerial shelling was in response to palestinian fighters laying explosive devices on or near the gaza border fence. some reports state that the fighters engaged the israeli soldiers in small arms fire before the air strike. the shelling near khan younis damaged several palestinian homes as well.

according to ha'aretz news, the air strike was followed by the launching of reactionary mortars from gaza which resulted in the injury of eight israeli soldiers. during the attack, the nasser salah addin brigades, the armed wing of the popular resistance committees, launched a number of mortar shells which hit the nahal oz israeli military base injuring eight soldiers. the mortars struck the "officers quarters" and the soldiers barracks. one israeli soldier reportedly had his leg amputated due to injuries sustained. according to the israeli military, eleven mortars were fired from gaza on friday, three of which struck the military base. additionally, the al-qassam brigades, the military wing of hamas, launched five homemade projectiles in response to the air strikes, while the al-mujahidin brigades, a smaller military wing of fatah, launched two at an israeli military site east of kahn younis. the following day, the al-qassam brigades launched three mortars shells at an israeli military position near gaza city. also on saturday, the qassam brigade launched seven projectiles from northern gaza which landed in sha'ar hanegev, causing no injuries.

incident sources:
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33573
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33592
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33588
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7754946.stm
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1041947.html

Assassinations, Demolitions...Sounds Like the "Only Democracy in the Middle East?"

IDF killed wanted Palestinians despite court guidelines, documents show
Last update - 12:44 26/11/2008
By Uri Blau, Haaretz Correspondent

The Israel Defense Forces has assassinated wanted men in apparent defiance of High Court of Justice guidelines for such operations, according to operational briefings obtained by Haaretz.

The documents reveal that the IDF approved assassinations in the West Bank even when it could have been possible to arrest the targets instead, and that top-ranking army officers authorized the killings in advance, in writing, even if innocent bystanders would be killed as well.

Moreover, the assassination of at least one member of a so-called "ticking infrastructure" was postponed due to an impending visit by a senior U.S. official.

Finally, Haaretz discovered that contrary to what the state told the High Court, assassinations were subject to only minimal restrictions prior to the court's ruling.

One case analyzed in Haaretz's investigation, whose findings will be published in full in Friday's magazine, is that of Ziad Malaisha, who was killed on June 20, 2007 in Kafr Dan, near Jenin.

On March 28, 2007, a meeting was called by then-GOC Central Command Yair Naveh to discuss Operation Two Towers. "The mission" said Naveh, "is arrest," but "in case identification is made of one of the leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad  Walid Obeidi, Ziad Malaisha, Adham Yunis the force has permission to kill them, according to the situation assessment while carrying out the mission."

On April 12, Naveh convened another meeting on the subject. This time, he approved killing Malaisha and "another two people at most."

That same day, two other discussions took place on the subject. One was led by Brig. Gen. Sami Turjeman, then head of the Operations Unit, who said that the operation must kill no more than five people in total, including the car's driver. The second was led by then-head of the Operations Directorate, Tal Russo, who approved carrying out the assassination even if there was one unidentified person in the car.

The next day, Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi convened a few top officers to approve the mission. These included his deputy, the head of the Operations Directorate, the military advocate general and representatives of Central Command and the Shin Bet security service. Minutes of that meeting show that Ashkenazi forbade the assassination if "more than one unidentified passenger" was in the car. Moreover, he said, "in light of the diplomatic meetings anticipated during the course of the week, the date of implementation should be reconsidered."

Leading jurists who were asked for comment said these documents show that the IDF is violating the High Court's ruling of December 2006, which held that assassinations are permissible only if the target cannot be arrested instead, and that "harm to innocent civilians will be legal only if it meets the demands of proportionality."

In a conversation with Haaretz, Naveh confirmed that sometimes no real effort is made to arrest a target. "If the guy doesn't put his hands up we don't ask questions, we immediately establish contact," he said. "I don't want to have people hurt for no reason. If I know that the guy is armed and is a ticking bomb, then I want him to be hit immediately without fooling around."

The IDF Spokesman's Office said in response that Malaisha, a senior Islamic Jihad operative who was planning terror attacks, was an approved target for assassination, but that during the operational planning, "all the ranks involved decided that if there was an opportunity to arrest the subjects, that alternative is preferable."

However, because the planning also revealed that arrest might be impossible without excess risk to the soldiers involved, "the option of striking the wanted men with the intent to kill was also planned. This part of the operation was planned as a 'targeted preemption' in every respect, in accordance with the restrictions and the conditions laid down by the Supreme Court. The planning was accompanied by legal advice, as in the case of other 'targeted preemption' operations."

"The option of arresting the targets was examined, and only when it became apparent that this was impracticable was the decision made to strike them," the statement continued.

Finally, it said, the timing of all security operations depends on diplomatic as well as security considerations, and sometimes these factors necessitate delay. However, "this does not detract from the operation's urgency or necessity."

coverage from ma'an news:
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33525
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Four new demolition orders in Aqaba bring total to 39 out of 45 houses

Date: 26 / 11 / 2008 Time: 17:11

Bethlehem – Ma’an - Israeli military forces issued four new demolition orders on Wednesday, increasing the potential demolition count to 39 out of a total 45 homes in the West Bank village of Aqaba. Aqaba is a tiny village in the Jenin area with a population of 300 inhabitants living in houses made of large families with ten or more children. The Israeli peace movement has petitioned the military leadership to stop the demolitions. "The time is over when the state of Israel and its armed forces could perpetrate dastardly deeds in backwoods villages and expect to avoid the world's notice,” wrote the Gush Shalom movement in a letter sent to Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni calling for the cancellation of all demolition orders. “Nowadays, the world is carefully watching events in the occupied territories and everything happening in the out-of-the way West Bank villages will become known within hours in Europe, America and the rest of the world,” the group said. During deliberations on the villager’s Supreme Court appeal, the Israeli state offered the villagers permission to build on 3% of their land. The villagers rejected this idea for being “completely inadequate” and now, two of the four new demolition orders are directed against houses in that proposed 3% area. Recently, a large delegation from the European Parliament toured the village of Aqaba and heard of the dire threat hanging over its inhabitants futures. Aqaba's mayor, Haj Sami Sadek, also met with Members of Congress in Washington, DC and is in regular contact with the US Consulate in Jerusalem. “Behaving as a despicable, brutal occupier is not only immoral, but it will entail a prohibitively heavy international and political price" the Gush Shalom movement warned.

19th Palestinian Fatality Since November 4th Ceasefire Unraveling Began

monday, a palestinian resistance fighter died today from injuries he sustained during fighting with israeli troops on november 15th. Fawzi Hamad, was injured during the israeli invasion on gaza nine days ago. he was active with the nasser salah addin brigades, the armed wing of the popular resistance committees.

additionally, a palestinian civilian was shot and injured by israeli soldiers in a new ceasefire violation. the unnamed man was reportedly shot in the leg while hunting birds in abu safiyah, near the northern gaza border.

following internal meetings among numerous palestinian resistance factions, the hamas movement has stated that they remain committed to the ceasefire if israel acts to "lift the closure of commercial crossing." hamas said that it would work to prevent other factions from launching projectiles in exchange for israel making good on its commitment to allow food, medicine and fuel into the besieged gaza strip.

monday was the first day in 20 days where aid was allowed into gaza. today, small amounts of fuel were allowed in. this fuel is earmarked for gaza's main power plant which has been off since fuel supplies ceased. also, united nations refugee works association (UNRWA) food aid was allowed in, though not enough to allow gaza's bakeries to begin baking bread again. since gaza's crossing have been closed, there has been a shortage of flour in gaza and thus most bakeries have closed as they are unable to bake bread and other foodstuffs.

18th Palestinian Killed In Recent Ceasefire Breaches...and the PA Still Promotes Peace?

over the past 16 days (since november 4), the israeli army has initiated a number of ceasefire violations resulting in the death of 18 palestinian fighters and the injury of numerous others.

during this period, termed a "lull in the fighting," israeli forces have killed more than one palestinian a day for 16 days; the palestinian resistance has killed ZERO israelis, lightly injuring one in a projectile attack on sderot.

following each major ceasefire violation, palestinian fighters responded by firing homemade projectiles, mortars and grad-type rockets. in total, according to israeli military sources, "a total of 91 rockets and 38 mortar shells were fired between November 4 and 16."

today, thursday the 20th, yet another palestinian was killed by israeli military forces. according to palestinian media sources as well as hamas' military spokesmen, a fighter affiliated with hamas' al-qassam brigades was killed in gaza city. Mohammad Abd Ash-Shaqour Al-Ara'ir, 21, was killed from a tank shell fired by an israeli tank stationed near the nahal oz border crossing located east of gaza city. Mohammad was taken to ash-shifa hospital in gaza city where he was pronounced dead. according to the al-qassam brigades website and press statement, Mohammad was killed while on "a mission."

in response, the palestinian resistance fired one homemade rocket into the western negev desert. according to israeli media, the projectile "struck an open area in the Sha'ar Hanegev regional council, caused neither casualties nor property damage."

the gaza borders remain closed in yet another ceasefire violation. today is the 16th day where the gaza borders have remained closed. the opening of the gaza borders is the main condition of the ceasefire. by keeping the crossing closed, israel is imposing collective punbishment on the population of gaza and violating the core terms of the ceasefire.

for the text of the 2002 saudi peace plan:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1844214.stm

for more information:
- blog post on november 4th ceasefire violation: 4 palestinians killed
- blog post on november 12th ceasefire violation: 8 palestinians killed
- blog post on november 18th ceasefire violation: invasion of southern gaza ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

in other news, the west bank-based palestinian national authority (PNA) has attempted to further an israeli-palestinian peace initiative by appealing directly to the israeli population.


after years of frustrating negotiations with the israeli government, the PNA has published a 2002 saudi peace proposal in the main israeli newspapers hoping to spark interest among the israeli citizenry. the peace plan calls for a complete israeli withdrawal from occupied lands in exchange for full recognition and relations with 57 arab and islamic nations.

according to ma'an news: "The full-page announcements in Hebrew are a first-ever attempt by the Palestinian leadership to speak directly to the Israeli public in their own language. The advertisements also appeared in Arabic in the Palestinian press."

according to Yasser Abed Rabbo, the PLO Executive Committee secretary the publication is desoigned “to convince the Israeli public of the initiative." he continued, “[the israeli population] does not understand the initiative, as they only hear about it from Israeli officials who have distorted and criticized it...This is what they do with all other Arab and Palestinian plans, along with any peace project...We will try to explain the core of the initiative to (the Israeli) people in an objective manner, in an attempt to normalize relations with the Arab world,”

for more information:
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33379
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7739198.stm

Yet Another Ceasefire Violation....Israel Invades Southern Gaza

monday, israeli forces once again violated the 5 month ceasefire by carrying out an invasion of the gaza strip. since the israeli army has killed 17 palestinians in the past week and a half and invaded gaza multiple times, the gaza-israel ceasefire seems all but dead.

in this latest invasion, three israeli tanks, two armored bulldozers and an unspecified number of military jeeps invaded southern gaza near the city of rafah. the bulldozers destroyed agricultural lands in the an-nahdah neighborhood east of the city, adjacent to the now destroyed gaza international airport. separately, an undercover army unit invaded northern gaza, near beit hanoun.

in response to the invasions, the al-qassam brigades, the military wing of hamas, launched a projectile at invading israeli forces. this was confirmed by israeli and palestinian press. the abu ali mustafa brigades, the military wing of the popular front for the liberation of palestine, engaged israeli forces in ground fighting in the northern portion of gaza, in the al-bura neighborhood of beit hanoun. the abu ali mustafa brigades also launched three homemade projectiles and three mortars at kfar sa'd and sderot in the western negev desert. the al-mujahidin brigades, a minor armed wing of fatah, launched two homemade projectiles at sderot.

since israel resumed invading gaza and killing palestinian fighters in air strikes, gaza's borders have remained closed. this has causes a cessation of UN food distribution services prompting the UN’s top human rights official to call for an immediate end to israel’s blockade of gaza. high commissioner of human rights Navi Pillay stated, “This is in direct contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law. It must end now."

because of the two year blockade, and the recent total cessation of imports, the gazan population is facing serious problems as basic foodstuffs and supplies need to be replenished. gaza's main power plant failed days ago as fuel is no longer available. news reports today indicate that gaza's supply of wheat is nearly completely depleted. also, since november 9, when the invasions resumed, israel has prevented journalists from entering gaza to document to suffering.

israeli government sources have announced that the crossings will remain closed as long as palestinian resistance groups continue to launch homemade projectiles at israel. the palestinians had stopped the launching of projectiles during the 5 month ceasefire, but recently resumed as a response to israel's invasions and killings. since then, israeli ceasefire violations have killed at 15-17 palestinians, and the palestinians have launched approximately 140 rockets and mortars, killing none.

in a separate incident in gaza, the israeli navy seized three palestinian fishing boats, and with them, fifteen palestinian fishermen and three international solidarity volunteers. the arrests occurred in gazan waters and constitute a ceasefire violation and a violation of maritime law. the volunteers arrested were working with the international solidarity movement (ISM) and hailed from scotland, the united states and italy. they are among numerous activists who entered gaza with the Free Gaza sailing missions, and stayed behind to work in solidarity with the gazan population. the internationals are currently detained at an Israeli airport and are expecting to be deported.

according to israeli military law, the palestinians of gaza are permitted to fish in a 20 mile zone. this measure was established during the oslo peace process, and later adapted to a 12 mile area in 2002. according to international reports, the boats were seized while fishing only 7 miles off the gaza coast, well within permissible range. the arrests today involved a large israeli naval contingent of at least 20 naval gun ships.

previously, the israeli navy had assaulted palestinian fishermen accompanied by international volunteers. the navy would fire high pressure water cannons and live ammunition, but never have there been arrests of internationals like this. activists have been accompanying palestinian fishermen since august when the first Free Gaza boat made history by breaking the israeli siege and landing on the gaza shores without first passing through israeli border forces. the activists arrested today have been in gaza for three weeks.

sources:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1038499.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7735945.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7735051.stm

http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33314
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33308
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33310

http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2008/11/18/fifteen-palestinian-fishermen-and-3-internationals-abducted-from-palestinian-waters-off-the-coast-of-gaza/
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2008/11/18/update-fifteen-palestinian-fishermen-still-being-held-by-israeli-authorities-three-internationals-fighting-deportation-with-at-least-one-engaging-in-hungerstrike/

Israel Breaches Ceasefire 2nd Time This Week, Kills 8

updated Sunday 16, 3:30am EST

Palestinians react as they carry the body of a miltant killed in clashes with the Israeli army, at the hospital in the Khan Younis refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008. (AP)
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today, wednesday, the israeli occupation army once again laid a crushing blow to the hamas-backed gaza-israel ceasefire nearly entering its sixth month.

since june 2006, hamas has been able to maintain a 'state of calm' with israel, preventing its fighters from launching offensive maneuvers, and for the most part, preventing fighters from other factions from attacking as well. despite the palestinians' dedication to the pact, israel has continually violated the rules by:

1.) not fully opening gaza's borders as promised, and
2.) occasionally invading gaza, firing into gaza from israel, firing on gazan fishermen and...
3.) killing ELEVEN palestinians in the past week!

six days ago, israel committed the most serious ceasefire violation since june by invading the gaza strip and killing seven palestinians. today, the occupation army has once again breached the agreement, invaded gaza and killed four palestinians.

Palestinians wheel the body of a Hamas fighter into the Nasir hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip. (AFP)

israeli spokesmen report that their invasion was prompted by palestinians laying explosives inside gaza near the israeli border. according to the BBC, the israeli army was quoted as saying:

"This morning, the Israeli Defence Forces identified armed gunmen attempting to place an explosive device near the security fence in the central Gaza Strip."

this is a common claim made by the israeli army operating in this area. note that the claim is that gazans were laying explosives in gaza, (not in israel) in a territory that is designated as palestinian-administered and autonomous. if gaza truly is under palestinian rule, then why would the israeli army be allowed to invade under the pretense of preventing palestinians from establishing border defenses?

during the military operation, israeli military forces invaded gaza near the town of khan younis and clashed with palestinians resistance fighters. this occurred while israeli fighter jets fired missiles into gaza. local news reports indicate that at least one israeli missile struck the al-Islah mosque while a second struck adjacent to a school. other report indicate that the missiles struck the homes of the al-Muhanna and an-Naja families, as well as the al-Islah mosque.

A Palestinian boy reacts inside his damaged house after an Israeli incursion in a village near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis November 12, 2008. (Reuters)

the fighting on the ground involved invading israeli tanks, armored bulldozers and other combat vechiles, and palestinian fighters firing at least three mortars and at least one other homemade explosive device. these clashes occurred east of al-Qarara and resulted in the death of four palestinian fighters. the four men killed are all reported to be fighters with hamas' armed wing, the al-qassam brigades.

the men have been named as:

- Mahmoud Siyam
- Rami Freinah
- Muhsen Al-Qidrah
- Isma'il Abu Al-Ola

Palestinians carry the body of a Hamas gunman after he was killed by Israeli soldiers in a village near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis November 12, 2008. (Reuters)

following the invasion and killings, palestinian resistance fighters responded by launching at least two homemade projectiles and "a number of" mortar shells. according to the israeli army, the rockets and mortars caused no damage or injury.

islamic jihad's armed wing, the al-quds brigades, launches four homemade rockets in response to israel's invasion of the gaza strip last week

we can expect to see more homemade projectiles launched over the next few hours and days. last week, when israel broke the ceasefire and killed seven, palestinian fighters responded by firing approximately 80 homemade rockets and mortars into the southern israeli desert. these 80 projectiles resulted in no injuries.

update, as of November 15, 2:30pm EST:
following wednesday's attacks, numerous palestinian resistance organizations responded by launching homemade rockets and mortars at israeli targets surrounding the gaza strip. attacks were launched by the armed wings of hamas, fatah, islamic jihad, the popular resistance committee, the popular and democratic fronts for the liberation of palestine, and a group calling itself helbollah. for more information on which groups launched attacks, and what areas were targeted, visit

http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33188
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33202
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33200
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33210
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33229
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33235
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33241

saturday, the armed wing of the popular resistance committees' claimed that one of its fighters was killed in an israeli air strike in beit hanoun, in northern gaza. the PRC claims that the men were targeted as they approached the gaza-israel border. the israeli army denies carrying out the air strike and argues that the lethal explosion was likely due to a malfunctioning device handled by the fighter. during the incident, one fighter with the nasser salah addin brigades was killed while a second fighter was wounded.

sunday, israeli forces once again violated the ceasefire and carried out yet another air strike on the gaza strip, this time killing four palestinian fighters. the four fighters were affiliated with the nasser salah addin brigades of the popular resistance committees. the air strike was reportedly carried out by an israeli reconnaissance aircraft, though some reports indicate that the men were killed in ground fighting while the aircraft simply provided "cover fire." ha'aretz news reports that israeli soldiers invaded gaza, entering at least 250 meters past the border. some israeli news sources have reported that the men were killed while attempting to launch homemade projectiles or plant explosives. the dead have been named as:

- Talal al-Aamudi, 23
- Muhammad Hassuna, 20s
- Ahmad al-Hilou, 20s
- Basil al-If, 20s

since the israel broke from the ceasefire a few weeks ago and resumed ground invasions and air strikes, 15 palestinians have been killed by occupation forces, while another two palestinians were killed under unclear circumstances.

article sources:
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1036703.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7724418.stm
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33172
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33238
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1037513.html
http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=33258
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1037540.html

hamas press releases concerning wednesday's attack:
http://www.alqassam.ps/english/?action=showsta&sid=1281
http://www.alqassam.ps/english/?action=showsta&sid=1280

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in other news...
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The Israeli military is investigating a video in which a Palestinian detainee appears to be humiliated by a group of Israeli soldiers.

The video, broadcast by Israeli TV after being posted on YouTube, shows a blindfolded man kneeling near a barrier being forced to repeat Hebrew phrases.

Some refer to the elite Golani infantry brigade. Others are of a sexual nature....

But a leading Israeli human rights group says "many instances of abuse are not exposed because they have become the norm".

Palestinians themselves frequently complain that their contact with Israeli soldiers on occupied territory results in delays, insults and sometimes violence, our correspondent says.

for the complete story and video:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7715861.stm
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The UN in the Gaza Strip says it will run out of food aid in two days unless Israel's blockade - which it describes as "shameful and unacceptable" - eases.

The UN refugee agency Unwra, which distributes food to half of Gaza's 1,5m people, called the blockade "a physical as well as a mental punishment".

Israel is now allowing a limited amount of fuel across the border, but it is still blocking food deliveries.

for the complete article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7722948.stm

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The UN has no more food to distribute in the Gaza Strip, the head of relief efforts in the area has warned.

John Ging said handouts for 750,000 Gazans would have to be suspended until Saturday at the earliest, and called Gaza's economic situation "a disaster".

Israel earlier denied entry to a convoy carrying humanitarian supplies.

It has prevented the transfer of all goods into Gaza for nearly a week, blaming continuing rocket attacks by Palestinian militants

for the complete article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7726943.stm

Narratives Under Siege #23: The Israelis Attack us Every Day

Narratives Under Siege (23):

‘The Israelis Attack us Every Day’

Saber Al-Hissie has been a fisherman in Gaza for fifteen years. His 20 metre boat is scarred with bullet holes from the Israeli military, who harass the fishermen daily

“I’ve been a fisherman for fifteen years now, ever since I was fifteen years old. My father was a fisherman and so was my grandfather. I have spent half my life at sea. But every day we face problems from the Israeli gunboats: they follow us, and then they start shooting at us because they want to force us to stop working.”

Saber Al-Hissie comes from a Gazan family of fishermen. His 20 metre vessel belongs to his father, who, after many years of fishing, has finally passed the family business over to Saber. There are more than 3,500 professional fishermen in the Gaza Strip, and the majority of them live in and around Gaza City, where the main harbour is located. The Al-Hissie family, like most of the other Gaza city fishermen, live in the sprawling refugee camp, known locally as the Beach Camp, near Gaza harbour.

Gaza harbour awakens before dawn. The fishermen land the night catch, the fishmongers gather to buy the fish, and those fishermen who have spent the night in the luxury of their own beds at home arrive to start preparing for the early morning fishing. Nets are mended, fuel and water supplies replenished, and the boats are back out at sea before 7am. Saber Al-Hissie has a crewe of seven men and boys with him today, including thirteen year old Mahmoud, and eighteen year old Ali, who both regularly work as fishermen. Mahmoud is still at school, but Ali says he never went to school. “I always wanted to be a fisherman” he says, grinning.

As we sail out of the harbour and head west, Saber Al-Hissie describes the restrictions that Israel is imposing on him and every other fisherman trying to earn a living in the Gaza Strip. “If we sail six miles out to sea, then maybe we will be safe” he says. “But if we go any further out to sea, the Israelis always harass us. They circle the boats, they shoot towards us, and recently they started using water cannons to attack us.” He explains that some fishermen still take the risk of sail further out than the six mile limit, where they can trawl for the richer stocks of fish in deeper waters. “But I don’t want my boat damaged so I stay within the [Israeli] limit” he adds. His boat is already scarred with bullet holes inflicted by the IOF.

The fishermen often sail out of Gaza harbour in fleets. Some vessels stay fairly close together at the edge of the six mile limit for mutual protection, though a minority of fishermen sail on further, in defiance of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). But regardless of how far they sail, all the fishermen risk being shot, water cannoned, arrested and detained, and also having their vessels damaged, destroyed or confiscated. More than seventy Gaza fishermen were arrested by the IOF last year.

Commercial fishing is an inherently risky profession, and has become increasingly more dangerous in Gaza because of the relentless IOF harassment and intimidation. Even before we reach six miles from the Gaza coast, we can see three Israeli gunboats speeding towards us. We are amongst a fleet of around ten Gazan fishing vessels that gradually disperse between six to eight miles from the coastline and drop their nets. The crew on board Saber’s boat become visibly tense as the Israeli gunboats begin circling individual vessels at high speed, causing huge waves that pitch the vessels. Soon we can clearly see fishing vessels being water cannoned by one of the Israeli gunboats. “The Israelis attack us every day” says one of the crew, Abu Mahmoud. “Until you see it for yourself, you cannot believe the situation we are facing.”

Gazan fishermen say the Israelis are using dirty, possibly contaminated water in the high-speed water cannons, in order to force them back towards shore, despite the fact the fishermen have the absolute right to fish off their own coast. The Interim Arrangements signed between the PLO and Israel in 1994/5, stipulate that Gazan fishermen have the legal right to fish up to 20 nautical miles from the Gaza coastline. However, Israel has never honoured the Interim Agreements, and has consistently harassed and intimidated fishermen across the Gaza Strip, decimating the local fishing industry.

Ten years ago, Gazan fishermen were hauling approximately 3,000 tons of fresh fish a year. But productivity has plummeted since the Second Intifada due to escalating IOF attacks, and now the fishermen are hauling less than 500 tons of fresh fish per year, and being forced to over-fish the shallow waters in close proximity to Gaza. The fishermen say the presence of a small group of international human rights observers from the Free Gaza Movement has improved the situation for those boats which are accompanied by the internationals - but these fishermen want their right to work without facing daily harassment and violence from the IOF. This manufactured crisis in the Gaza fishing industry is yet another part of the overall IOF siege and closure of Gaza, including its mass violations of the social and economic rights of the entire civilian population of the Gaza Strip.

One of the Israeli gunboats speeds towards us, and uses a megaphone to order us back.. We are now at the edge of the six mile limit, and Saber refuses to be cowed. His crew calmly continues working, as the gunboat circles us at high speed and the boat pitches wildly. When the IOF start to shoot into the waters around us with a sub-machine gun, Saber turns his vessel back towards Gaza. “We just want to fish and support our families” he says. “We are not committing any crimes. But they are.”

PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights http://www.pchrgaza.org
Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory	No. 44/2008 30 Oct. - 05 Nov. 2008
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) IOF killed 7 members of the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip. 21 Palestinians, including a woman, and an international human rights defender were wounded by the IOF gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. IOF conducted 33 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and two others into the Gaza Strip. IOF arrested 21 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, in the West Bank and 4 women in the Gaza Strip. IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world. IOF arrested 2 Palestinian civilians at al-Karama International Crossing Point on the Jordanian border. IOF closed all commercial crossings and Erez crossing in the Gaza Strip. IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. IOF demolished 3 houses and a wedding hall in East Jerusalem. 3 Palestinian journalists were injured in Hebron. Summary Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law escalated in the OPT during the reporting period (30 October – 5 November 2008): Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 7 Palestinians and wounded 8 others in the Gaza Strip. They also wounded 13 Palestinian civilians and an international human rights defender in the West Bank. On Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, 4 and 5 November 2008, IOF killed 6 members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas), and wounded 5 others in the southern and central Gaza Strip. All victims were hit by missiles fired by IOF aircrafts during Israeli incursions into some areas in the Gaza Strip. IOF also arrested a wounded woman. On Wednesday evening, IOF killed using missiles a member of al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) and wounded 2 civilian bystanders. In the West Bank, 13 Palestinian civilians and an international human rights defender were wounded by the IOF gunfire. On 31 October 2008, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded when IOF moved into Dura village, southwest of Hebron, and fired at civilians who threw stones at military vehicles. On 3 November 2008, 6 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, when IOF moved into al-Far’a refugee camp, south of Tubas, and fired at civilians who threw stones at military vehicles. During the reporting period, 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, and an international human rights defender were wounded when IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall west of Ramallah. Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 33 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF arrested 21 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children. Thus, the number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of 2008 has mounted to 2,111. In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 2 incursions into Palestinian communities on 4 November 2008. In the morning, IOF moved into al-Hamra area in Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Stri, and leveled areas of land they had already razed. In the evening, IOF moved into the east of Deir al-Balah town in the central Gaza Strip. They killed a member of the Palestinian resistance and wounded 3 others and a woman. They also destroyed a house, razed areas of agricultural land and arrested 4 women, including one who was wounded. Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. During the reporting period, IOF imposed a comprehensive closure on the OPT for the the Jewish Sukkot. Gaza Strip IOF have continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The IOF siege of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip. 1.5 million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education. The Egypt-brokered ‘Tahdiya’ or truce between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel began on 19 June; however, there have been no major changes regarding the movements of civilians and goods through the six Gaza Strip border crossings. Rafah International Crossing Point, the only border crossing from the Gaza Strip to the outside world via a country other than Israel, remains closed. Health services continue to be severely affected by the siege, with healthcare facilities also registering a 25% drop in clients due to continuing chronic fuel shortages. Critically ill patients are still being denied permits to access vital health services in the West Bank, Israel and abroad. . Water facilities, including access to clean drinking water, and the treatment of raw sewage continue to be severely disrupted by fuel shortages. 50-60 million liters of untreated and partially treated sewage are being dumped into the Gaza Strip Mediterranean Sea daily, posing a public health risk. Hundreds of Gazan students are currently unable to resume their university studies abroad as they cannot exit the Gaza Strip. In addition, up to 1,200 school leavers are in the process of applying to study at foreign universities, and are dependent on being issued exit permits by the IOF. There are at least 900 Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in jails in Israel who have been denied all visitation rights since 6 June 2007. Continuing chronic shortages of construction materials, including cement, aggregate and iron, have led to the collapse of the Gaza construction industry. Thousands of construction workers have been laid off, and vital infrastructure projects have been forcibly suspended. IOF have repeatedly closed border crossings of the Gaza Strip claiming that home-made rockets were launched at Israeli towns. During the reporting period, IOF decided to close all border crossings of the Gaza Strip. West Bank IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem. IOF have established checkpoints in and around Jerusalem, severely restricting Palestinian access to the city. Civilians are frequently prevented from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. There are approximately permanent 630 roadblocks, manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank. In addition, there are some 60-80 ‘flying’ or temporary checkpoints erected across the West Bank by IOF every week. When complete, the illegal Annexation Wall will stretch for 724 kilometers around the West Bank, further isolating the entire population. 350 kilometers of the Wall has already been constructed. Approximately 99% of the Wall has been constructed inside the West Bank itself, further confiscating Palestinian land. At least 65% of the main roads that leads to 18 Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF (47 out of 72 roads). There are around 500 kilometers of restricted roads across the West Bank. In addition, approximately one third of the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, is inaccessible to Palestinians without a permit issued by the IOF. These permits are extremely difficult to obtain. IOF continue to harass, and assault demonstrators who hold peaceful protests against the construction of the Annexation Wall. Palestinian civilians continue to be harassed by IOF in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being regularly stopped and searched in the streets by IOF. During the reporting period, IOF arrested 2 Palestinian civilians at al-Karama International Crossing Point on the Jordanian border. Annexation Wall: During the reporting period, IOF started to raze areas of land in al-‘Amra natural reserve, which has been isolated by the Wall, southwest of Jenin. According to eyewitnesses, IOF razed areas of land in the vicinity of a residential compound where 27 Palestinians (5 families) live, for the purpose of establishing a fence surrounding and isolating the compound. IOF informed the families that they would establish a fence around their houses. Al-‘Amra is the largest natural reserve in the West Bank and has been isolated by the Wall. Control over it was supposed to be transferred to the Palestinian National Authority, but Israel maintained its control over it. In addition, IOF continued to prevented Palestinian farmers from reaching their lands that have been isolated by the Wall to cultivate olives although they have permits issued by IOF to reach their lands. Settlement Activities: IOF have continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. On Wednesday, 5 November 2008, IOF demolished 3 houses and a wedding hall in East Jerusalem. On Friday evening, 31 October 2008, Israeli settlers from “Kiryat Arab” and “Kharsina” settlements, southeast of Hebron, attacked Palestinian houses located near “Kharsina” settlement with stones and empty bottles. They then attacked journalists who were covering the attack. Three journalists were injured. A house was also damaged. Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (30 October – 5 November 2008) The full report is available online at: html:http://www.pchrgaza.org//files/W_report/English/2008/06-11-2008.htm pdf: http://www.pchrgaza.org//files/W_report/English/2008/pdf/weekly%20report%2044.pdf

Barak Obama, Rahm Emanuel, Dennis Ross & Israel

A Palestinian refugee's open letter to Obama

Abdelfattah Abusrour, writing from Ramallah, occupied West Bank, Live from Palestine, 6 November 2008

Senator Barack Obama addresses the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) forum on Foreign Policy in Chicago, March 2007. (Jeff Haynes/AFP/Getty Images)

Dear President-elect Barack Obama,

I would like to congratulate you on this victory, a victory that is not only yours, as you said in your speech, but also for those who believed in you, and who are full of hope for the change you promote and the wish that it comes through you and your efforts to lead your country and the world for a legacy and a heritage that is meaningful, and plant hope in a time of despair.

I have been fortunate and blessed in my life. I received a scholarship to continue my studies in France where I stayed nine years. I returned to my occupied country with a PhD because I believed that I could make a change and that I am a change-maker in breaking cultural stereotypes, and could show another image of my people and their beauty and humanity through nonviolent resistance against the ugliness and violence of the Israeli occupation. This was my goal in creating the Al-Rowwad Center with a group of friends, to allow our children to use theatre and the arts for social change and nonviolent means of self-expression to keep them alive, instead of becoming a number on a list of martyrs, or handicapped for the rest of their lives, or perish in prison.

I believe that everybody is a change-maker, and nobody has the right to say, "I can't do anything" or stay neutral at a time when injustice is committed every day. I believe, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed, that travel breaks cultural stereotypes, and if people have the opportunity to meet with each other as human beings, they will have no reason to go to war against each other. I believe in change, exactly like you, and hope that change will come with all the efforts we are doing. And because of this, I was rewarded as the first Ashoka Fellow-Social Entrepreneur in Palestine.

When I first visited the United States, in 2004, the immigration authorities asked me about my name, date of birth, place of birth, etc. Because there is no Palestine listed as a country in their computers, I was Jordanian -- because I was born in 1963 in Jordanian-controlled Bethlehem. My father was Israeli, because he was born in 1910 in his village of Beit Nateef under the Ottoman Empire, even though it was called Palestine at that time, because this village was occupied and destroyed and became part of present-day Israel, which was created in 1948. What would be the feeling of anyone who only exists as a "terrorist," but not as a "human being?"

I believe in human values and human rights. I believe in freedom, justice, peace, democracy and equality. You mentioned opportunity. I believe that occupied people have the right to defend their country against the occupation, in a time when the occupied victim is represented as the oppressor and the terrorist, and the occupier as the victim who defends himself. I believe that people who fight for justice and against oppression are heroes, like you. I believe that you are a role model, and you will affect generations to come.

My name is Abdelfattah Abusrour. I was born in Aida Refugee camp, on land rented for 99 years by UNRWA, the UN Agency for Palestine refugees, from Palestinian landowners of Bethlehem. My family originates from Beit Nateef, one of 534 destroyed Palestinian villages in 1948 by the Zionist bandits.

I grew up in Aida refugee camp, as a refugee in my own country. I remember the 1967 War which broke out when I was four years old. I remember the sky full of planes, and all of the young children covered by black blankets, and cherished by their mothers. I remember the field around the camp, where we used to play, to perform our theatre plays in the open fields. I remember the big holes in the ground, when they were filled with water, they were our swimming pools.

A segregation fence was built in 2002 which was transformed into a 30-foot-tall apartheid wall in 2005, encircling the camp from the east, the north and part of the west.

Like you, I was fed the love of my country. Like you, I remember my past and present, and remember the rusty keys of my parents' home in Beit Nateef, keys for doors that exist no more, but keys that have their doors in our hearts and our imaginations. These rusty keys are still with me. I remember that we were brought up with this eternal belief that right is right, and nothing can justify ignoring it. I remember that our right of return to our original villages and homes is eternal, and nothing can change it, neither realities on the ground nor political agreements, because it is a right which is also granted in international law and UN resolutions.

Day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year, we were living in lies and broken promises of change, and when change comes; it is for the worse and not for the better. Nothing improves with all the negotiations. No promise of independence for Palestinians was fulfilled, even after 60 years.

I believe in peace and nonviolence, in hope and right and justice. I believe in the values that make humanity what it is. I have never hated anyone. My parents were full of love and peace. They never taught me or my brothers anything other than respect of others and endless love to give and help others. They taught us that when you practice violence you lose part of your humanity. But at the same time, they taught us to defend what is right and to stand against what is unjust and wrong. Therefore, I do dare to say that you have great challenges facing you, and you are fully aware of that. But what remains after all is what you have said, the values you defend, and the heritage you want to leave to your two daughters and the generations to come. I do fear the day when my three sons and two daughters, or any child in my occupied country or in any other country comes to me tomorrow or in ten or twenty years from now, asks: "What did you do to make a change in this world?" This is why I continue to work to make a positive change and work for a better tomorrow at a time when every day that comes is worse than the day before. This is why I continue, so I may respond and say I did something to make a change.

I don't know if you will read these words or not, but I do hope that such words that come from my heart will reach yours, and you can find the hope and strength our people still have in them. I do hope that you will fulfill your promise of change, that your daughters will remain proud of their father and his achievements. Right is right, and justice is justice. All people are equal, and no race or color is superior above the others.

I wish you strength and power to carry the big burden you inherited from the previous government and the courage to keep hope and force through the change you want to make, and the ability to keep inspiring people that it is never too late for a change to come.

Hope is alive as long as we are the change we want to see. And my hope is that our children can enjoy a peaceful, safe, clean and just world. My sons Canan (9), Adam (7) and Ahmad (5), and my daughters Rafa (3) and Safa (4 months), my wife and I wish you the best in bringing to the world the change we need.

Abdelfattah Abusrour, PhD is the Director of the Al-Rowwad Cultural and Theatre Training Center, an independent center for artistic, cultural, and theatre training for Palestinian children in the Aida Refugee Camp. The Center provides a "safe" and healthy environment to help Palestinian children creatively discharge stress in the war-time conditions in which they live.
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Obama picks pro-Israel hardliner for top post

Ali Abunimah, The Electronic Intifada, 5 November 2008

Senator Barack Obama greets Representative Rahm Emanuel at the Illinois Delegation party at a restaurant in Boston on the eve of the Democratic National Convention 2004. (Tom Williams)

During the United States election campaign, racists and pro-Israel hardliners tried to make an issue out of President-elect Barack Obama's middle name, Hussein. Such people might take comfort in another middle name, that of Obama's pick for White House Chief of Staff: Rahm Israel Emanuel.

Emanuel is Obama's first high-level appointment and it's one likely to disappointment those who hoped the president-elect would break with the George W. Bush Administration's pro-Israel policies. White House Chief of Staff is often considered the most powerful office in the executive branch, next to the president. Obama has offered Emanuel the position according to Democratic party sources cited by media including Reuters and The New York Times. While Emanuel is expected to accept the post, that had not been confirmed by Wednesday evening the day after the election.

Rahm Emanuel was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1959, the son of Benjamin Emanuel, a pediatrician who helped smuggle weapons to the Irgun, the Zionist militia of former Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, in the 1940s. The Irgun carried out numerous terrorist attacks on Palestinian civilians including the bombing of Jerusalem's King David Hotel in 1946.

Emanuel continued his father's tradition of active support for Israel; during the 1991 Gulf War he volunteered to help maintain Israeli army vehicles near the Lebanon border when southern Lebanon was still occupied by Israeli forces.

As White House political director in the first Clinton administration, Emanuel orchestrated the famous 1993 signing ceremony of the "Declaration of Principles" between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. Emanuel was elected to Congress representing a north Chicago district in 2002 and he is credited with a key role in delivering a Democratic majority in the 2006 mid-term elections. He has been a prominent supporter of neoliberal economic policies on free trade and welfare reform.

One of the most influential politicians and fundraisers in his party, Emanuel accompanied Obama to a meeting of AIPAC's executive board just after the Illinois senator had addressed the pro-Israel lobby's conference last June.

In Congress, Emanuel has been a consistent and vocal pro-Israel hardliner, sometimes more so than President Bush. In June 2003, for example, he signed a letter criticizing Bush for being insufficiently supportive of Israel. "We were deeply dismayed to hear your criticism of Israel for fighting acts of terror," Emanuel, along with 33 other Democrats wrote to Bush. The letter said that Israel's policy of assassinating Palestinian political leaders "was clearly justified as an application of Israel's right to self-defense" ("Pelosi supports Israel's attacks on Hamas group," San Francisco Chronicle, 14 June 2003).

In July 2006, Emanuel was one of several members who called for the cancellation of a speech to Congress by visiting Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki because al-Maliki had criticized Israel's bombing of Lebanon. Emanuel called the Lebanese and Palestinian governments "totalitarian entities with militias and terrorists acting as democracies" in a 19 July 2006 speech supporting a House resolution backing Israel's bombing of both countries that caused thousands of civilian victims.

Emanuel has sometimes posed as a defender of Palestinian lives, though never from the constant Israeli violence that is responsible for the vast majority of deaths and injuries. On 14 June 2007 he wrote to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "on behalf of students in the Gaza Strip whose future is threatened by the ongoing fighting there" which he blamed on "the violence and militancy of their elders." In fact, the fighting between members of Hamas and Fatah, which claimed dozens of lives, was the result of a failed scheme by US-backed militias to violently overthrow the elected Hamas-led national unity government. Emanuel's letter urged Rice "to work with allies in the region, such as Egypt and Jordan, to either find a secure location in Gaza for these students, or to transport them to a neighboring country where they can study and take their exams in peace." Palestinians often view such proposals as a pretext to permanently "transfer" them from their country, as many Israeli leaders have threatened. Emanuel has never said anything in support of millions of Palestinian children whose education has been disrupted by Israeli occupation, closures and blockades.

Emanuel has also used his position to explicitly push Israel's interests in normalizing relations with Arab states and isolating Hamas. In 2006 he initiated a letter to President Bush opposing United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Dubai Ports World's attempt to buy the management business of six US seaports. The letter, signed by dozens of other lawmakers, stated that "The UAE has pledged to provide financial support to the Hamas-led government of the Palestinian Authority and openly participates in the Arab League boycott against Israel." It argued that allowing the deal to go through "not only could place the safety and security of US ports at risk, but enhance the ability of the UAE to bolster the Hamas regime and its efforts to promote terrorism and violence against Israel" ("Dems Tie Israel, Ports," Forward, 10 March 2006).

Ira Forman, executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, told Fox News that picking Emanuel is "just another indication that despite the attempts to imply that Obama would somehow appoint the wrong person or listen to the wrong people when it comes to the US-Israel relationship ... that was never true."

Over the course of the campaign, Obama publicly distanced himself from friends and advisers suspected or accused of having "pro-Palestinian" sympathies. There are no early indications of a more balanced course.

Co-founder of The Electronic Intifada, Ali Abunimah is author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli- Palestinian Impasse (Metropolitan Books, 2006)
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Obama adviser Dennis Ross's dodgy record

Michael Flynn, The Electronic Intifada, 4 November 2008

Then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Dennis Ross meeting in Jerusalem, December 1999. (US Embassy in Israel)

GENEVA (IPS) - With the 2008 presidential campaign at its end, pundits have begun to discuss in earnest what expected winner Barack Obama's administration might look like. An important piece of evidence is Obama's campaign team, which largely escaped the harsh scrutiny that his opponent's lobbyist-laden team received.

Because of Obama's relative inexperience on foreign policy, it is this part of his team that is getting much of the attention, and one adviser in particular -- Dennis Ross, Bill Clinton's Middle East envoy whose record includes supporting the pro-Iraq War advocacy campaigns of the Project for the New American Century and serving as a consultant to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), a bastion of Israel-centric policy thinking in Washington.

Generally regarded as a political moderate who has the ear and respect of both Republicans and Democrats, Ross, a former Soviet specialist, reportedly has told friends and foreign officials that he hopes to nab a very senior post in an Obama administration, one that at least covers Iran policy, if not the entire Greater Middle East.

But Ross's record as a Middle East peacemaker during the Clinton years, longtime association with hawkish political factions, and track record promoting a hard line vis-a-vis Israel's Arab neighbors have spurred concern that he would be a less-than-ideal pick for a Middle East portfolio in an Obama administration, which many presume he will be offered.

As one Clinton official, asked about Ross's role in the Obama campaign, told Time magazine earlier this year, "If Obama wants to embody something new that can actually succeed, it's not just a break from [George W. Bush] that he's going to need, but a break from Clinton."

Despite some successes as Clinton's envoy crafting agreements between Israel and its neighbors, Ross's efforts to negotiate an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were a failure. In his writings, Ross has emphasized Palestinian intransigence -- in particular, Yasser Arafat's -- as being the cause for the failure, although he doesn't exempt Israel from blame.

Other participants in those negotiations have pointed their finger at Ross. In their book Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace, Daniel Kurtzer, who is also an Obama adviser, and Scott Lasensky cite a number of anonymous officials who were critical of Ross.

Said one Arab negotiator, "The perception always was that Dennis [Ross] started from the Israeli bottom line, that he listened to what Israel wanted and then tried to sell it to the Arabs ... He was never looked at ... as a trusted world figure or as an honest broker."

Likewise, a former Clinton administration representative told the authors, "By the end, the Palestinians didn't fully trust Dennis ... [T]hey thought he was tilted too much towards the Israelis."

Ross got his start in high-level policy-making working under Paul Wolfowitz in the Pentagon during the Carter administration. Wolfowitz -- who is better known for his role pushing the Iraq War after the 11 September attacks and for his controversial tenure as World Bank head -- tasked Ross with helping draft a study assessing threats to US interests in the Persian Gulf. The 1979 study, titled the "Limited Contingency Study," concluded that aside from the Soviet Union, a key threat to the region's oil fields was Iraq.

In his 2004 book Rise of the Vulcans, James Mann writes that this study, the Pentagon's "first extensive examination of the need for the United States to defend the Persian Gulf," would go on to "play a groundbreaking role in changing American military policy toward the Persian Gulf over the coming decades."

When Wolfowitz was tapped to head the State Department's Policy Planning Staff after the election of Ronald Reagan, he included Ross in his team of assistants, which, according to Mann, would go on to become, over the next two decades, "the heart of a new neoconservative network within the foreign policy bureaucracy."

Other Wolfowitz team members from that time included I. Lewis Libby, a Washington lawyer who later became notorious as the disgraced former chief aide to Vice President Dick Cheney; James Roche, President George W. Bush's Air Force Secretary who resigned after being implicated in the Boeing tanker leasing scandal; Zalmay Khalilzad, US Ambassador to the UN and post-invasion ambassador to Iraq; Alan Keyes, the perennial Republican presidential candidate; and Francis Fukuyama, the "end of history" theorist and erstwhile neoconservative ally who turned against the faction after the Iraq invasion.

Ross's close association with neoconservatives has deepened over the years, becoming especially pronounced in the wake of the 11 September attacks. He supported the invasion of Iraq and, during the run-up to the 2008 presidential elections, repeatedly teamed up with writers from groups like the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) to craft hard-line policies toward Iran.

Ross served as the co-convener of WINEP's Presidential Task Force on the Future of US-Israel Relations, which issued the June 2008 report "Strengthening the Partnership: How to Deepen US-Israel Cooperation on the Iranian Nuclear Challenge." The report was signed by a number of former Democratic and Republican policy-makers, as well as by several neoconservatives, including former CIA director James Woolsey and Vin Weber, a former Republican congressman who co-founded the rightist pressure group Empower America.

Interestingly, several other advisers to the Obama campaign added their names to the document -- Anthony Lake, Susan Rice, and Richard Clarke.

Ross also helped produce the 2008 report "Meeting the Challenge: US Policy Toward Iranian Nuclear Development," which was published by a study group convened by the Bipartisan Policy Centre, a group led by several former legislators.

The lead drafter of the report was AEI's Michael Rubin, an outspoken proponent of US military intervention in the Middle East. Other participants included hawkish arms control analyst Henry Sokolski; Michael Makovsky, a former aide to Douglas Feith; Stephen Rademaker, who worked under former UN Ambassador John Bolton in the State Department; and the neoconservative Hudson Institute director, Kenneth Weinstein.

The report argues that despite Iran's assurances to the contrary, its nuclear program aims to develop nuclear weapons and is thus a threat to "US and global security, regional stability, and the international nonproliferation regime," a conclusion that stands in contrast to the CIA's November 2007 National Intelligence Estimate, which found that Iran had ceased its nuclear weapons program.

Like the WINEP study, the report argues that "Cold War deterrence" is not persuasive in the context of Iran's program, due in large measure to the "Islamic Republic's extremist ideology." Even a peaceful indigenous uranium enrichment program would place the entire Middle East region "under a cloud of ambiguity given uncertain Iranian capacities and intentions."

Among the report's proposals are undertaking a major military build-up in the Gulf; pressuring Russia to halt weapons assistance; and, if the US agrees to hold direct talks with Tehran without insisting that the country first cease enrichment activities, setting a pre-determined compliance deadline and be prepared to apply increasingly harsh repercussions if these are not met, leading ultimately to US military strikes.

Calling the report a "roadmap to war," Inter Press Service's Jim Lobe writes, "In other words, if Tehran is not eventually prepared to permanently abandon its enrichment of uranium on its own soil -- a position that is certain to be rejected by Iran ab initio -- war becomes inevitable, and all intermediate steps, even including direct talks if the new president chooses to pursue them, will amount to going through the motions ... What is a top Obama adviser [Dennis Ross] doing signing on to it?"

Michael Flynn is the founder of the Global Detention Project at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. All rights reserved, IPS - Inter Press Service (2008). Total or partial publication, retransmission or sale forbidden.