Weekly Briefing No. 2: January 19, 2008 Green Light for Atrocity In this Briefing: Bush visit gives Green Light to Israel: (2 articles) Killing, desperation in Gaza gets worse and worse: (4 articles) "End the Seige" Action scheduled for January 26: (1 article) The West Bank: Nablus, Jenin (2 articles) Bush Visit to Israel (1) Green light for atrocities (Al-Ahram, 17-23 January, 2008) Note: If you have time to read just one article, read this one. Just weeks after the Annapolis parade, Bush on tour to Israel has given carte blanche to Olmert for whatever level of violence against Palestinians he pleases, as well as promised U.S. support for an Israeli strike on Iran, writes Saleh Al-Naami Full Article: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/880/re02.htm (2) Bush in Jerusalem: Rhetoric Trumps Substance January 18th, 2008 by U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation After meeting separately with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, President George Bush made a policy statement in Jerusalem on January 10. Now that his whirlwind tour of the Middle East is over and we have had some time to digest the meanings of Bush’s statement, the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation would like to share with you our analysis of Bush’s rhetoric and its policy implications (or lack thereof). Full Analysis: http://endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1491 Gaza Crisis Intensifies (1) A week of funerals in Gaza as Palestinians feel Israel's wrath Mariam Rahal, a 53-year-old grandmother and her two sons, were in the wrong place at the wrong time as they drove their donkey cart of oranges home through a mainly residential district of Beit Lahiya. Mrs Rahal was buried yesterday with one of the sons, Mohammed, 23. The pair were innocent victims of a four-day conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants that last night seemed far from over. ... Relatives and neighbours described how Mrs Rahal, the mother of eight children from the age of 12 up, and the second wife of a sick man, would rise before dawn to buy fruit and vegetables to sell door to door. Mr Rahal, a farmer, said: "I have six dunums (1.5 acres) of strawberries and I lost the whole crop because of the ban on exports and the freezing weather. She did everything she could to help me, she looked after everybody." ... Full Article: See http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article3350896.ece (2) One woman killed and forty injured in an Israeli air strike on Gaza city Friday January 18, 2008 16:49 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News Israeli jet fighters attacked the Palestinian Ministry of Interior building located in Gaza city; one woman and ten other civilians had been reportedly killed in the attack that took place on Friday afternoon. Full Article: http://www.imemc.org/article/52361 (3) Israel seals off Gaza; prevents UN aid from entering After over six months of closure, the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip have come to depend heavily on aid from the UN. Now, the Israeli forces that completely controlGaza's borders have sealed the border even to the UN emergency aid vehicles. The sealing of the border is just the latest stage in the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza According to theUnited Nations Refugee and Works Agency, fifteen trucks containing food aid were prevented from entering on Friday. 80% of Gaza's population depends on the food aid for survival. http://www.imemc.org/article/52367 (4) Punitive engineering Reports of grave humanitarian consequences following phased cuts in the supply of fuel and electricity to the Gaza Strip forced Israel's Ministry of Defence to tweak its action on 10 January. The ministry has now authorised a restoration of diesel fuel supplies for Gaza's main power plant, back up to levels provided before Phase I fuel cuts went into effect 28 October. While not enough, as the winter cold began to bite the news came as a relief to many in Gaza. The densely populated and now near totally isolated coastal strip is completely dependent on Israel for fuel, and partially dependent for electricity. Full article: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/880/re03.htm (For more on this topic, see: ISRAEL-OPT: Gaza power cuts leave people cold physically, metaphorically at http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=76295 and also Gaza gas distribution stations run out of supplies at http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=27315 ) Protesting the Seige of Gaza GAZA: LIFT THE BLOCKADE!! Monday January 14, 2008 21:24 by Press Release saed at imemc dot org Saturday, January 26th, relief convoys will depart from Haifa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beer Sheva, bearing signs “GAZA: LIFT THE BLOCKADE!” Converging at Yad Mordechai at 12 noon, the rally will be at Erez Checkpoint at 13.00. On the other side will be hundreds of Gazans, organised by The Palestinian International Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza (www.end-gaza-siege.ps), including psychiatrist and human rights activist, Dr. Eyad Sarraj. Full Article: http://www.imemc.org/article/52304 West Bank (1) Nablus, wounded in the war on history Although it is a small stretch of land, Palestine has many faces, from tiny country villages to bustling cities. Perhaps one of the most impressive places is the city of Nablus. Coming from Ramallah, passage into the city is through the huge, overcrowded Huwwara checkpoint. Having crossed this reversed city gate, set up by the Israeli military in October 2000, the first impression is that of a vivid Arab city, albeit with a sense of tension in the air. In a recent visit, Toon Lambrechts traces Nablus's five millennia of history. http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9219.shtml (2) Jenin, Jenin by Gideon Levy The pictures of death from Gaza reach Jenin on television, but young people are killed here as well, almost every week. The latest victim fell in the neighboring village of Al Yamun. Fawaz Frihat was 17 and a half when he died. The IDF invades the city's refugee camp every night, sowing panic and sleeplessness. There are almost no wanted men left here, but the IDF doesn't give up. The residents' bitterness toward the PA is reaching new heights. Back at Zbeidi's house, "Everyone who can, leaves," he says at supper, which is served in the spirit of the times, without meat. "Everyone is afraid of the PA. You can't say a word. Say a word and you'll be arrested. But you think about Fatah and ask: What have they done for us? And you think about Hamas and ask: What have they done for us? Full article: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/945759.html