Today in Palestine 16 th of march

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Friday March 19, 2004 14:21 by MrParadise MrParadise_lb at hotmail dot com

a summary of the events

The Israeli court suspends wall construction in some villages, in other villages still
The Israeli State General Attorney decided Tuesday to halt the constructions of the Wall in some villages near Ramallah and asked the authority to reconsider its path; the court’s decision came after several petitions where submitted.
http://www.imemc.org/headlines/2004/March/week3/031604/deir-qiddis.htm


Four Palestinians seriously wounded in Zionist shooting at peaceful march
Eyewitnesses said that occupation forces suddenly opened fire at the marchers in which around one thousand villagers of the Madya and Na’lin towns took part along with a number of foreign peace activists.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/am/publish/article_5177.shtml


Critical Mass: Responding to the non-violent “enemy”
In Budros, residents have staged continuous demonstrations without the shabbab intervening with rocks. Residents from NW Jerusalem, faced with the possibility of losing 90% of their land to the separation barrier, have taken up non-violent struggle to have the wall moved.
http://www.imemc.org/headlines/2004/March/week3/031604/beit-duqqu.htm


Two killed in Gaza air strike
Witnesses said the helicopter fired three missiles into the building. "We rushed with others to the house to try to rescue the people inside. When the second and third missiles hit, people among the rescuers were wounded," said one witness, giving his name only as Ahmed.
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=476936§ion=news


IOF Arrests 4 in the West Bank
israeli troops, backed by tanks and military jeeps, stormed various areas of the city and conducted a house-to-house search campaign, shortly beofre arresting Musa al Hanoty, 18, Haron Qasem, 18, and Hasan Sauman, 18. The three were led into an unknown place.
http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?field=tech_news&id=247


Israeli forces destroy university building in Gaza
On Tuesday morning, 16 March 2004, Israeli occupying forces destroyed the educational studies campus of al-Aqsa University, located near al-Shuhada (Netzarim) junction, south of Gaza city. PCHR calls upon UNESCO to immediately intervene to stop the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian educational institutional system.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article2509.shtml


2 Houses Demolished in Rafah, 1 Citizen Arrested in Ramallah
At least fifteen citizens became homeless, joining thousands of citizens who lost their houses since the beginning of the Intifada. Meanwhile, Security sources in Ramallah, reported that a Palestinian civilian, Bassel Abu Hmaid, has been arrested by IOF during Israeli thrust into the city of Ramallah.
http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?field=tech_news&id=248


One Year Since the Killing of Rachel Corrie; Amnesty International Urges President Bush to Call for Independent Investigation
Observing the one-year anniversary of the killing of Rachel Corrie, Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) today renewed its call for an independent investigation of her death.
http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?id=B8D3AF54A1EF52BE85256E590055C091


Foreign peace activists commemorate Rachel Corrie, killed by Israeli army
A small number of fellow ISM members paid their respects to her by reading out e-mails and letters that she had written about Gaza to her family and friends back home in Olympia, Washington. They all wore t-shirts bearing the names of Palestinian victims of the intifada as well as of Corrie herself.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1514&ncid=1312&e=6&u=/afp/20040316/wl_mideast_afp/mideast_us_peace_demo_040316132540


Palestinians fete UK activist as 'martyr'
Activist Tom Hurndall and U.S. peace activist Rachel Corrie, who died a year ago when she tried to stop an Israeli army bulldozer demolishing a house in a refugee camp, have become heroes of a Palestinian revolt against Israel in occupied territories.
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=476685§ion=news


Palestinian deportee Returns to the West Bank
Al-Ajjoury was deported along with her brother by the army in August 2003 after being arrested and imprisoned for three months. She said that it is hard experience to be away from the family especially when her mother died last year; both her brother and Intisar were not allowed to attend her funeral.
http://www.imemc.org/headlines/2004/March/week3/031604/intissar-ajoury.htm


SOLIDARITY VIGIL IN SUPPORT OF HUSSAM KHADER AND ALL PALESTINIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS
March 15, 2004, about 30 Palestinian activists from the Student Union Council of Al-Quds Open University in Jenin, the General Union of Palestinian Women, and ISM activists from the United States and Canada held a peaceful vigil in front of the District Coordinator’s Office (DCO) for the Jenin region at Salem checkpoint.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/reports/writings/15Mar04_04_51_02JeninKole.htm


Israeli Military Court Continues Trial of a Palestinian MP
Khader insisted he had nothing to do with all the Israeli accusations, stressing he only used to be active in politics, mainly through his affiliation with the local Popular Committee for Palestinian Refugees Affairs in Nablus, along with his PLC membership.
http://www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_e/ipc_e-1/e_News/news2004/2004_03/076.html


IOF Incites Palestinian Workers to Revolt Against Resistance Factions
On Thursday, March 10, 2004 the Israeli occupying authorities distributed a neatly printed color leaflet on the Palestinian workers passing through "Eretz" checkpoint, north of Gaza Strip, inciting them to stand up to the Palestinian resistance factions...
http://www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_e/ipc_e-1/e_News/news2004/2004_03/078.html


Jordan may sue Israel for monies confiscated in Ramallah
Jordan is considering suing Israel for monies seized during the Israel Defense Forces raids on Ramallah banks in the end of February, Jordanian government spokeswoman Minister Isma Khader said on Monday.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/405431.html


Sharon rules out peace talks
Sharon's statement yesterday was a setback for efforts to restart talks on the US-backed road map peace plan, substituting a program of unilateral Israeli steps. Sharon called his Security Cabinet into session today to discuss retaliation...
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,8983704%255E1702,00.html


Palestinians left outside J'lem fence are moving into "capital"
According to unofficial estimates, some 300 Palestinians with Israeli identity cards are returning to Jerusalem's municipal area every week. They are driven by the fear of losing social and economic benefits as a result of being cut off from the city by the so-called "Jerusalem envelope."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=405106&contrassID=1&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y


Palestinian PM: Israel ''running away'' from responsibilities to Mid-east peace
Sharon told the Israeli Parliament Monday that he rules out negotiations with the Palestinian Authority (PA), claiming it has "done nothing to try to stop attacks on Israelis by Palestinian militants".
http://www.albawaba.com/news/index.php3?sid=272711&lang=e&dir=news


Italian FM arrives for two-day visit
Frattini was quoted in Ma'ariv on Tuesday as saying that Italy, unlike Spain, will not withdraw its troops from Iraq. Frattini, during his visit, is slated to meet President Moshe Katsav, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1079410302454


Lahoud: no right of return, no regional peace
Emile Lahoud affirmed Monday that there could be no peace in the Middle East without the Palestinians returning to their homeland and said any solution that did not provide for such a return would not be viable.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/16_03_04/art2.asp


Israel must stop bias against Arab citizens, use them as mediators: report
Israeli Arabs are victims of institutionalised economic, social and political discrimination, a rights groups charged in a report. "Hatred expressed by political leaders, physical attacks and racist incitement endanger the Arab community and the democratic character of the state,"
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040315/wl_mideast_afp/mideast_israel_arabs_040315194435


Arab Israeli MP proposes bill to close Dimona nuclear reactor
The veil of secrecy which for many years has surrounded the reactor's existence "has prevented government supervision and also prevented the public and the Knesset from evaluating and assessing the risks," it said.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1514&ncid=1312&e=4&u=/afp/20040316/wl_mideast_afp/mideast_israel_arabs_040316135530


Egypt Urged to Take on New Role in Gaza
As the Bush administration warms to the idea of an Israeli pullback from Gaza, U.S. and Israeli officials are trying to persuade Egypt to take on a new and major role: keeping a lid on the volatile Palestinian area.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=540&e=20&u=/ap/20040316/ap_on_re_mi_ea/us_egypt_gaza


Egypt sees no need to amend Camp David agreement
The Camp David accords, negotiated in 1978 and which led to the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, only allow Egypt to deploy civilian police armed with light weapons near the border with Israel and the Gaza Strip.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/405433.html


Background / Rachel Corrie and Israel's army - a death in vain?
On March 16, 2003, Rachel Corrie was carrying a bullhorn and wearing a fluorescent orange vest to make clear that she was an activist, as she climbed a mound of earth to bar the path of the immense Caterpillar D9 bulldozer.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=405340&displayTypeCd=1&sideCd=1&contrassID=2


Don't bother the president now
Less than eight months before the U.S. presidential elections, it must be assumed that the mind of George W. Bush is concentrating, almost to the exclusion of everything else, on matters connected with the need to win another term in office.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/405073.html


The Christians in Europe to the rescue
Under this plan, the area of Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, which during the years of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been emptied of their Christian residents, would again become a Christian stronghold.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/405091.html


People and Politics / Sharon's disengagement has long been bilateral
In advance of the meeting, which has meanwhile been postponed, between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, spokesmen for the Israeli PM did their utmost to convince the media that no mention whatsoever of the unilateral disengagement plan would be made.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/405092.html


US general says Iraq can do without Spanish troops, others ask them to stay
The top US general in Iraq said a threat by Spain's prime minister-elect to pull his country's 1,300 troops out of Iraq would not hurt the coalition, a view echoed by a member of the Iraqi interim Governing Coalition.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1515&ncid=1515&e=2&u=/afp/20040316/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_worldwrap_040316152155