Israeli Police Detain African Migrants

A Sudanese refugee surveys an empty shelter deserted after a police raid in Tel Aviv, Monday, Feb. 25, 2008. Israeli police on Monday detained about 200 Africans who infiltrated the country through the porous border with Egypt in recent months, a police official said, a day after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered a crackdown on illegal migrants.(AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)

25 February 2008

By ARON HELLER

TEL AVIV-Israeli police arrested about 200 African migrants Monday, a day after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered a crackdown on the growing problem of illegal immigration, officials said.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the migrants, mostly Sudanese who entered through the porous border with Egypt, were arrested in a raid near Tel Aviv's old bus station, where many live. Rosenfeld said the arrests would continue this week.

The dilapidated buildings that shelter migrants in southern Tel Aviv were nearly empty after the raid as people tried to avoid arrest. They left hundreds of barren mattresses side-by-side in smelly underground dwellings.

Solomon Mangstie-Dayan, a 40-year-old migrant from Ethiopia who crossed into Israel nine days ago, said police officers raided his shelter, seizing fellow African migrants and hurrying them onto three buses. He said he was spared only because of the cries of his 3-year-old daughter, Sunight.

Olmert on Sunday ordered security officials to tighten supervision of the Egyptian border and directed officials to expedite the processing of those seeking asylum, to decide which were just seeking work and could be deported.

Africans have been sneaking into Israel in increasing numbers over the past year. More than 7,000 have entered the country illegally through Egypt in just over a year, including more than 2,000 so far in 2008, said Michael Bavly, a representative in Israel of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Israeli government statistics estimate about 100,000 legal foreign workers in the country. At least 100,000 others, many from Africa, work in Israel without permits, according to experts.

Foreign workers flock to Israel because the higher wages allow them to send relatively large amounts of money back home to their families. Refugees seeking asylum from wars or persecution see Israel as a welcoming, Westernized country.

Many Israelis feel an obligation to help refugees because of the centuries of persecution Jews endured before they created their own state.

Most migrants are from Sudan, including southern Sudan, where a 22-year conflict left 2.5 million people dead, and Darfur, where a rebellion has cost more than 200,000 civilian lives and made 2.5 million homeless. Others have fled Eritrea and forced military conscription there.

This year, Israel granted temporary residency status to 600 refugees from Darfur. It also recognized about 2,000 migrants from Eritrea whose lives would be endangered if sent home.

But the nation plans to deport another 4,500, many of whom came from countries like Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria.

Their route to Israel is often treacherous. Egyptian border police on Monday shot and wounded a Sudanese and a man from Ivory Coast in separate incidents as they tried to cross into Israel. On Sunday, Egyptian forces shot and killed an African woman who was trying to cross the border into Israel, a medical official said.

A spokeswoman for Israel's Interior Ministry said those arrested Monday who have work permits would be released. Those whose refugee status is being reviewed by the U.N. would be granted a limited stay, and the others would be deported.

Sigal Rozen, of the Hotline for Migrant Workers in Tel Aviv, who represents the migrants, said authorities were shipping some of the arrested migrants to a prison in southern Israel.

Ben-Eliezer calls for the release of Marwan al-Barghouthi

February 24, 2008

(BBC)-The political leader of the Israeli and Israeli Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer called for the release of Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouthi of his prison in Israel.

The Israeli minister said that there is a need for a strong Palestinian political leadership can accomplish a peace agreement with Israel.

He added Ben-Eliezer, told the transfer of the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot on the Internet, that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad not able to complete a peace agreement with Israel.

The Ben Eliezer, one of the leaders of the Israeli Labour Party and a former general in the army, that the "real results can be achieved when there is a strong leader, and that leader my opinion is sitting in Israeli jails, and we release of Marwan al-Barghuthi, and I say this and I who was arrested twice" .

Although the Israeli minister did not enslaved to reach a peaceful settlement with the Palestinians, but he said that Israel needs to be a Palestinian leader capable of fulfilling its commitments and obligations, "It is important to talk to moderates on the other side."

It should be noted that Ben-Eliezer's statements on the release of Barghouthi is not new, as it has previously called for the Israeli prisoner swaps Paljnde Shalit.

Ben-Eliezer said that Barghouthi, a member of the El Sheriey Palestinian and one of the most prominent leaders of Fatah movement led by President Abbas, has a good chance to be the next Palestinian leader, and that his release could pave the way for political negotiations for the release of French.

His conviction Barghouthi should not preclude negotiations with the leader of this character is attractive and popular, as already negotiated with Israel, Yasser Arafat, the late Palestinian leader, although it was considered as a terrorist act.

IDF Soldier Accidentally Shot by Fellow Soldier, Suffers Serious Wounds

24 February 2008

by Yuval Azoulay

An Israel Defense forces soldier was seriously wounded Sunday when he was accidentally shot by a fellow soldier.

The incident occurred at the Dotan military base in northern Israel.

The soldier, serving in the Givati infantry regiment, suffered serious wounds to his back, after a fellow soldier accidentally shot him while cleaning his personal weapon.

First aid was administered to the wounded soldier at the scene of the incident, and he was later evacuated to the Hillel Yaffe hospital in Hadera.

The military police is looking into the details of the event.

Israeli Americans vote Clinton, but Obama wins global primary

24 February 2007

By Daphna Berman

Senator Hillary Clinton won the Israel vote in the Democrats Abroad Global Primary, but was defeated in the international race by Senator Barack Obama, who captured the majority of the votes cast by American expatriates who voted in the Democratic Global Primary.

The Democrats Abroad Global Primary was held earlier this month, between February 5 and 12. Balloting took place by mail, fax, and at voting centers in over 30 countries, including Israel. For the first time, voting was also available on the Internet through a secure online voting system

Ballots were cast from 164 countries and territories, from Antarctica to Zambia, according to Democrats Abroad statement. American citizens living outside the U.S. who joined Democrats Abroad, an official arm of the Democratic Party, were eligible to take part.

In Israel, which is home to an estimated 200,000 U.S. citizens, Hillary received 54 percent of the total vote among members of Democrats Abroad. Obama captured 45 percent of the vote in Israel.

In the global race though, Obama captured 66 percent, compared to Clinton?s 33 percent.

According to reports, Clinton also won the country vote in the Dominican Republic and the Philippines.

These results determine the allocation of 4.5 delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention, set to take place in August . Senator Obama won 2.5 delegate votes and Senator Clinton two delegate votes. A further 2.5 votes will be determined at the Democrats Abroad Global Convention in April. In addition, Democrats Abroad holds four superdelegate votes.

Republicans, meanwhile, do not hold a global primary.

"With the U.S. image so badly damaged by the present Administration, American Democrats living overseas were eager to have their voices heard," Christine Schon Marques, International Chair of Democrats Abroad, said from Geneva. "Across the board we saw an enormous diversity in participation, including many first-time voters."

'Road to Syria runs through Washington'

24 February 2008

By HIlary Leila Krieger, Washington

As Americans contemplate their political future, a former top Israeli official came to the nation's capital this week to have his say, too.

Former Foreign Ministry director-general Alon Liel likes what he's hearing from some of the presidential candidates about a willingness to talk to Syria, with whom he argued Israel could be engaged in peace talks if it weren't for the objections of the Bush administration.

Liel, who over the last few years has conducted unofficial talks with Syrian-American businessman Ibrahim Suleiman, hopes that in the last 10 months of George W. Bush's presidency - and the presidential campaign - he can influence people to back his approach.

"I'm sure the bottleneck is here in this city," Liel declared during a speech to the Washington-based Middle East Institute Thursday, referring to Bush administration policy to isolate rather than engage Syria. If its objections to Israeli-Syrian talks were to be dropped, he posited that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would seize the opportunity to speak to Israel's long-time foes. "I think he [Olmert] will jump at it."

Liel himself said he spent some two years, until the Second Lebanon War, meeting with Suleiman under the auspices of first the Turks and then the Swiss. While Suleiman was in touch with officials in Damascus about their meetings, the Foreign Ministry knew of the meetings but would not participate, Liel said, though both countries have denied the assertion.

Liel said Thursday that they had worked out a framework for an agreement, including an Israeli handover of the Golan Heights that would be spread out over up to 15 years and the creation of a park on some of the plateau where Israelis could enter visa-free. In addition, he said the Syrians wanted Israeli businesses to continue to operate there.

But, he claimed, Syria wanted US involvement before proceeding with the talks, and Israel could not deliver that because of American opposition.

Israel has denied such a barrier exists. During a press conference alongside Bush in Washington in November, Olmert said merely that he "share[d] the same opinion" with Bush that, "We are not against negotiations with Syria. We would love to be able to have negotiations with Syria, but that must be based on a certain reasonable, responsible policy, which is not preformed by Syria for the time being."

Liel said that whatever signals the Bush administration was sending to Israel on Syria, its refusal to be a party to negotiations in any case halted the process, since ultimately what Syria wanted was to talk to the US.

A State Department official said on Friday that, "In addition to an Israeli-Palestinian settlement and a two-state solution, there does need to be a broader regional settlement with all of Israel's neighbors, including Syria. But discussions with Syria are no substitute for what we consider to be the most important focus - furthering the cause of peace and furthering the development of a two-state solution with Israel and the Palestinians."

He added that, "The Syrian regime continues to engage in certain activities that are counterproductive to regional peace. We have repeatedly voiced concern over these activities, and Syria knows what it must do to improve relations with its neighbors and the international community."

In his conversations with US congressmen and former officials, Liel said many have reacted positively and would also like to see a broader policy change under the next president.

Democratic presidential candidates Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton are on record saying they favor engagement with Syria, a sentiment they touched on at their debate Thursday night.

Speaking in the context of Iraq, Clinton said, "We need to start diplomatic efforts immediately, getting the Iranians, the Syrians and others to the table. It's in their interest, it's in our interest."

Obama made a similar, wider point about Iran, though in the past he has expressed the same views about Syria.

Liel said that while he didn't expect to have an impact on current US policy, it was important now to reach out to Bush's successors, both Democrats and Republicans. "We have a feeling that it's easier to catch these people now than after they're elected," he said.

He also said the window of opportunity might be shutting as Syria continued to hear negative responses from the Israelis and the Americans.

But David Schenker, director of the Arab Politics Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Studies, said there was good reason for US caution when it comes to engaging with the Syrians.

"I don't think this administration wants anything to do with Syria, and rightly so. Everything Syria has done in the last eight years suggests that Syrians are not interested in seriously pursuing a peace negotiation."

He pointed to examples including Syria's harboring of terrorists such as Hizbullah No. 2 Imad Mughniyeh, assassinated this month in Damascus, the country's support for anti-American attacks in Iraq and its growing ties with Iran. He noted that the importance of those ties to Syria represented a strong disincentive for President Bashar Assad to switch to an Israeli-American alliance.

Schenker added that there was a cost to the willingness to engage, pointing out that Syria received leverage just from the appearance of talks with Israel. Right now, three years after the Syrians were suspected of being behind the death of Lebanese leader Rafik Hariri, Syria was looking to evade an international tribunal on the assassination and saw talks with Israel as a way to do that.

"It's a tool to alleviate pressures on the regime," he said, casting doubt on the sincerity of Syria's negotiating a peace deal with Israel.

Liel acknowledged that he could not be "100 percent" certain that Syria was indeed sincere, but said that his years in contact with Suleiman, and now as the chairman of the Israel-Syria Peace Society NGO, had convinced him they were sincere and that, at the very least, Israel should explore the option.

"It's the first time in the history of the country [Israel] that we have an enemy country saying it wants to talk, on record and in every diplomatic channel, and we say no," said Liel. "It's not our national policy… this is an American policy we were dragged into."

Schenker, though, warned that even a new administration - and new approach to Syria - wouldn't necessarily change much.

"It's likely to be just as frustrating," he said. "It'll be difficult to find much common ground with the Assad regime, regardless of whether the next administration in Washington is Republican or Democratic."

Israel begins overhaul of EU relations

24 February 2008

By Amir Mizroch

The Foreign Ministry has begun a strategic overhaul of relations with the EU and its member nations, increasingly "plugging into" EU institutions and, in turn, allowing Europe to play a greater role in Israeli diplomatic and economic processes, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

So central has Europe become to Israel's well-being, diplomatic officials have told the Post, that the Foreign Ministry believes it is time to reassess the Jewish state's traditional reliance on "two pillars" for Israeli survival: a strong IDF and an unbreakable alliance with America. Given the growing importance of the European Union in world events, and in the Middle East particularly, the officials said, a third pillar has become necessary: deepening ties to Europe.

"Increasingly, Europe is involved in everything that touches us: trade, the Palestinians, Iran, UNIFIL in Lebanon," said a senior Israeli diplomatic source. "They are in the [Middle East] Quartet, and central in many other areas. Developing a strong relationship with Europe is becoming the third pillar safeguarding Israel's survival."

Jerusalem's new strategy is to enhance cooperation with Europe in a variety of fields and to demonstrate that Israel can help with some of the EU's many interests in the region. To that end, Israel has in the past few weeks sent a detailed proposal to the European Union for negotiations on "significant" Israeli involvement with Europe in nine fields, including finance, education, environment, youth development, law enforcement, security cooperation and scientific research collaboration.

The plan comes on top of existing Israel-EU cooperation forums such as the Barcelona Process (established in 1995 to foster dialogue among EU member-states and countries on the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean), the European Neighborhood Policy (which aims to offer deeper political relationships and economic integration between EU members and their immediate neighbors), the Galileo space program, and bilateral ties.

The EU is studying the new Israeli proposal and has promised to give Israel a preliminary answer by mid-March. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is expected to meet with her European counterparts in June to try to finalize an agreement on the enhanced partnerships, the Post has learned.

Jerusalem is also seeking to deepen contact with Europe's growing Muslim communities - a source of hostility to Israel, but also, the Foreign Ministry believes, a potential bridge to better Jewish-Islamic relations and understanding. "Europe is becoming more and more Muslim, and we have identified a need to reach out to these populations," the diplomatic official said.

Israeli officials cite a change in relations with Europe following the 9/11 attacks, which "opened European eyes to the threats emanating from this region. They realized they had vital interests in this region, which is essentially their backyard."

Traditionally, Israel has relied overwhelmingly on its alliance with the US on questions of security and diplomacy, and officials stressed that the centrality of this relationship had not changed. Traditionally, too, Israel had been wary of over-involving Europe in fundamental survival issues. The relative marginalization of the EU, for instance, is emblemized by the fact that no serving Israeli prime minister has ever visited EU headquarters in Brussels on a formal diplomatic mission. "It's just never worked out," the diplomatic source said.

The reliance on Washington, indeed, has always been a strategic imperative, and has only grown more manifest as Israel and the Palestinians try to advance on the Annapolis-road map path to a permanent accord. Currently, as first reported by the Post, America, Israel and the Palestinians are working to formulate a plan under which NATO peacekeepers could be deployed in the West Bank if an agreement is reached and an Israeli withdrawal cannot otherwise be facilitated because of the inadequacy of the Palestinian Authority's security apparatus.

But Europe's role would be vital here, too: With NATO forces already deployed in areas such as Kosovo and Afghanistan, and with the bulk of US armed forces concentrated in Iraq, Europe would likely be asked to fill the ranks should a NATO-West Bank deployment materialize.

European troops are already deployed in the post-Second Lebanon War beefed-up UNIFIL force in southern Lebanon and have no immediate plans to end their mission. Last week, Spain dismissed a report in the Post in which Israeli defense officials expressed concern over Spain's commitment to UNIFIL ahead of the Spanish elections, pointing to the precedent of the withdrawal of Spanish forces from Iraq following the Madrid train bombings in 2004 and the subsequent change of government there. Nevertheless, there remains a widespread sense within the Israeli diplomatic establishment that UNIFIL's strength and commitment would not withstand a serious challenge from Hizbullah.

Europe is also playing a role in efforts to bolster the PA's security capabilities. Alongside US Lt.-Gen. Keith Dayton's military advisers, who are playing the primary training role, 33 Canadian and European police advisers have recently started training their Palestinian counterparts in the West Bank.

This new batch of advisers follows the European border monitors who were deployed at the Rafah crossing between Sinai and Gaza, but who retired to an Ashkelon hotel after Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in June. The monitors' mandate has not officially been repealed and they could be recalled to duty should Hamas allow their deployment in a deal between the PA and the Quartet. Their withdrawal when the situation deteriorated, however, underlined Israel's concerns about placing its security in the hands of international forces.

Jerusalem also believes stronger ties with Europe are important in mobilizing economic and diplomatic pressure on Teheran to thwart its nuclear drive. European politicians, especially those in Germany, Austria and Italy, were having a hard time convincing their businessmen and industrialists to sever or downgrade their economic ties with Teheran, the diplomatic source said, and Israel was consistently monitoring these efforts and pushing for their intensification.

"Many in those countries are still doing business with Iran, as evidenced by the latest OMV deal. Despite this, we are seeing some successes," the source said, adding that lobbying European politicians to pressure their industrialists to sanction Iran was "Israel's daily work." France and Britain were leading the diplomatic campaign against Iran, the official added. OMV is a large Austrian oil company, partially state-owned, which has entered into a $32 billion oil-rights deal with Iran.

Part of Israel's strategy to strengthen relations with Europe involves de-linking those ties from the vicissitudes of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Israeli-European ties have tended to fluctuate parallel to progress, or the lack thereof, in negotiations with the Palestinians.

"The Europeans are, in general, not pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli; they are pro-peace process. Progress with the Palestinians has meant better relations with Europe," the Israeli diplomatic source said.

Finally, Israeli officials are upbeat about the prospects for economic and environmental reforms here should the country reach agreement on deepened cooperation with European agencies. "Important reform programs tied to increased global access are easier to sell than homegrown reforms, which are always mired in local political considerations," the source said.

Bush No to Criminal Games

23 February 2008

by HRM Deborah

U. S. President George W. Bush offer’s money for relief to the Palestinians under the shadow’s of humanitarian aid.

The catcher is, only if his peace plan is allowed to go through, at the cost of genocide to all Palestinian citizens, for the sake of the Zionist state.

As the head of the legal government of Palestine, I say no still to Bush’s peace plan towards the genocide of all Palestinian’s and as for U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visiting Palestine, she can just stay in the United States.

As for Palestinian’s, we are tired of Bush's threat’s, genocide by Mahmoud Abbas and Ehud Olmert and intimidations against Palestinian lives’.

Furthermore, for Bush to actually be behind the humanitarian crisis to begin with, just show’s where he actually stands on the issue of peace in the region.

Finally, as to where I stand on the issue of peace in Palestine, I wish for real freedom and lasting peace for all citizens in Palestine regardless of their religion and I firmly believe in accomplishing this in an honorable way, not by criminal activity.

US Say’s No to Unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence

US rejects call for unilateral Palestinian declaration of independence if peace talks fail

21 February, 2008

Bethlehem ( Ma'an )- The United States on Wednesday rejected the comments made by senior aide to Mahmoud Abbas that Palestinians should follow the example of Kosovo and unilaterally declare independence if Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations fail.

Following Tuesday's meeting between Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of the Palestinian negotiating team, said, 'If things are not going in the direction of actually halting settlement activities, if things are not going in the direction of continuous and serious negotiations, then we should take the step and announce our independence unilaterally,' adding, 'Kosovo is not better than us. We deserve independence even before Kosovo, and we ask for the backing of the United States and the European Union for our independence.'

US State Department spokesman Shawn McCormack said there was still room for a positive outcome in the Isareli-Palestinian peace negotiations, while in Kosovo there is no hopes of negotiation.

He added that Kosovo was a unique case, reiterating that the US recognized Kosovo's declaration of independence. Several other western countries, including the UK, Germany and Italy, have also recognised the world's latest independent state.

When asked why Kosovo waited only nine years under the command of the UN while the Palestinians have been waiting for independence since 1948, McCormack said, 'It has become impossible to work out a political compromise in Kosovo, while in the Middle East there is still an opportunity for a compromise.'"

Gaza Rocket Attacks Dwindle

The body of Palestinian boy Tamer abu Shaar lays in the morgue of a hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on February 20, 2008. The 10-year-old boy was shot dead during an Israeli incursion into the central Gaza Strip, medics said. (AFP PHOTO/MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images)

20 February, 2008

Jerusalem - A total of 1 150 rockets were fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip last year, 23% fewer than a year earlier, said an Israeli general on Tuesday.

So far this year, the figure has reached 400, the Home Front command chief, Brigadier General Yair Golan, told a parliamentary committee, according to army radio.

Golan told the MPs the number of Qassams that struck the area decreased from 1 488 in 2006 to 1 150 in 2007.

On Tuesday, Gaza militants fired several rockets against southern Israel, causing some damage to buildings, but no casualties, said the army.

Israeli troops also shot dead a Palestinian gunman in a fire fight in the northern Gaza Strip.

That brought to at least 187 the number of people killed, most of them Palestinians, since peace talks resumed in November, according to an AFP count.

Israel has kept Gaza under an effective lockdown since June, after the territory's takeover by the Islamist Hamas movement. Israeli authorities have since tightened the blockade, citing continuing rocket attacks.

As pressure has mounted for an all-out assault on Hamas-run Gaza, Defence Minister Ehud Barak said last week the armed forces would do whatever was necessary to stop the attacks.

Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

7 - 13 February 2008

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

10 Palestinians, including a school teacher and 3 brothers, were killed by IOF and an 11th one died from a previous wound in the Gaza Strip.

40 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 9 women and 8 children, were wounded by the IOF gunfire in the Gaza Strip and 2 others in the West Bank.

IOF conducted 31 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 6 into the Gaza Strip.

IOF arrested 77 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, and 5 others in the Gaza Strip.

IOF waged a harsh campaign against money exchange shops; they confiscated at least 3 million NIS (approximately US$ 830,000) and closed a number of shops.

IOF razed 20 donums[1] of agricultural land in Wadi al-Salqa village in the central Gaza Strip.
IOF continued to shell Palestinian civilian facilities.

IOF destroyed a refrigerator, a factory and 2 workshops.

IOF damaged dozens of houses.

IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.

IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and property.

IOF demolished a house in Jerusalem.


Summary