issue no 7

Issue No: 7 16th Dec, 2011

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Issue No: 7

Article of the Week:

� Thank you Gingrich... your arrogance is needed

News Tour:

� Jewish settlers burn mosque in Jerusalem and vow similar attack

� Israel destroys 500 Palestinian homes and displaces 1,000 during 2011

� Human rights group appeal for saving t

� Delegations of 15 states coordinate efforts to stage worldwide rally for J

� Palestine flag raised at UN

Palestinian Weekly Report is a periodical insight into the latest dev

Palestinian Issue. It’s issued by The Palestinian Cultural Organization Malaysia and i

focuses on the most important news and analysis about the happenings of the

Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation in the Holy Lands of Palest

views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect PCOM's editorial policy.

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Contents

Thank you Gingrich... your arrogance is needed…………....…………………...

Jewish settlers burn mosque in Jerusalem and vow similar attacks....

Israel destroys 500 Palestinian homes and displaces 1,000 during 2011

Human rights group appeal for saving the lives of 450 patients in Gaza

Delegations of 15 states coordinate efforts to stage worldwide rally for J

Palestine flag raised at UNESCO headquarters……………..………….....

Palestinian Weekly Report is a periodical insight into the latest developments of the

It’s issued by The Palestinian Cultural Organization Malaysia and i


Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation in the Holy Lands of Palest


16th Dec, 2011

…………………...... 3

...........................5

Israel destroys 500 Palestinian homes and displaces 1,000 during 2011..……….... 5

lives of 450 patients in Gaza………….. 6

Delegations of 15 states coordinate efforts to stage worldwide rally for Jerusalem ..7

………….....……….. 8

elopments of the

It’s issued by The Palestinian Cultural Organization Malaysia and it


Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation in the Holy Lands of Palestine. The



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Article of the Week

Thank you Gingrich... your arrogance is needed

By: Abdul Bari Atwan After eighteen years of negotiations and conceding more than 80 per cent of historic Palestine, and signing the Oslo agreement (which added to the legitimacy of Israel and broke its Arab and international isolation), as well as renouncing armed struggle and considering it to be terrorism, we've seen recently how the United States rewards the Palestinian Authority. First was President Obama's refusal to support Palestinian membership of the United Nations; now we have Republican presidential wannabe Newt Gingrich calling the Palestinians an "invented" people who do not deserve a state.

Before the humiliating and, frankly, farcical negotiations, and the abandonment of resistance, no American official dared to utter such remarks as they tried to get the Palestinians to accept a peaceful solution. US officials even rejected Israeli settlements, regarding them rightly as illegal under international law, and all the while promised the establishment of an independent State of Palestine.

What has changed? Not the Americans; we have, with our surrender. "We" being the Arabs who have paid more and more to flatter the Jews and Israelis and nestle in

their deadly embrace just to please them. Newt Gingrich is assured that neither he nor the interests of his country will be damaged by his outrageous statements. That is because there is basically no Arab opposition; the Palestinian Authority still regards the US as a strategic ally, pandering to its envoys who flock to Ramallah carrying formulas for the revival of the peace negotiations.

When the Palestinians resorted to begging instead of armed resistance, with their security forces coordinating with their Israeli counterparts to protect illegal Jewish settlements, they turned the Israeli occupation into the cheapest in history, and the least damaging to the occupiers. As such, why should Gingrich and his ilk not abandon all conventions and ethics and go further than Benjamin Netanyahu and his fellow extremists, and forge history and geography in the process?

The fault lies not with Gingrich, Netanyahu or Barack Obama; it lies with us. It lies with the Arab despots, not the Arabs of the revolutions. Our "leaders" degrade the Arab people when they belittle themselves before the Americans and Israelis, claiming pragmatism and pointing to the imbalance of power. They put their wealth and lands at the service of Israeli-American hegemony, and they took America's side enthusiastically in all its wars against the Arabs and Muslims; their zeal was the envy of the US government. In America, there are three main lobbies: the pro-Israel lobby; the oil companies; and the gun lobby. Some observers add a fourth; the retirement lobby. The two largest are the oil


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and weapons' industries, which depend almost entirely on Arabs for contracts and oil. Despite this, Arabs have absolutely no influence on US foreign policy.

It is ironic that the Republican Party is the traditional ally and friend of most of the Arab rulers, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in particular. It was reported that immediately after George W Bush's election victory a senior Saudi official said, "We have won".

Gingrich knows history very well. He is in no need for any of us to remind him that Palestine existed thousands of years before America was discovered by Europeans. He may like to ponder that the demise of the US Empire will begin in the Arab and Muslim lands. Its policies across the Arab and Muslim world enacted through the prism of Israeli extremism have led to defeat in Iraq and Afghanistan, the loss of one trillion dollars and 5,000 dead soldiers, as well as 40,000 injured service men and women. The coming defeat will be greater; it is only a matter of time.

The American empire needs another president like George W Bush in order to become entirely defunct. There is no doubt that Newt Gingrich is the most suitable person to undertake this mission, especially as he has said that he would have arch-neocon John Bolton, one of the most prominent hawks in the wars against Iraq and Afghanistan, as his secretary of state and thus the architect of a Gingrich administration's policies in the Islamic world. Gingrich is blinded by conceit and the Israeli lobby helps to blind him to political realities,

let alone historical facts, especially regarding the transformation that is taking place in the Arab region and around the world. That is our good fortune and Israel's misfortune. This man does not recognise the extent of his stupidity; his country's friends among the Arab despots are falling one after the other at the hands of youthful revolutionaries and his president is withdrawing all his troops from Iraq. Obama is acknowledging defeat and preparing to make a similar admission after ten years of a war of attrition which has humiliated his forces in Afghanistan.

Personally, I was happy to read Newt Gingrich's remarks and my happiness grew when he repeated them. We need someone like him who will pour more fuel on the fire of the popular Arab revolution and awaken those who are still sleeping. The Palestinian Authority condemned Gingrich, describing his remarks as stupid, and then demanded an apology. That was an embarrassment because the logical response was to deploy thousands on the streets of Ramallah, and across the West Bank and Gaza, in protest. It is disgraceful that the Arab youth should be demanding justice, democratic change and the restoration of their dignity, while the Palestinian youth are still dreaming of a state that will never be established by begging and waiting for monthly salaries. The State of Palestine will only come about through the blood, sweat and tears of resistance; and Newt Gingrich's foolish remarks will help.


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News Tour

Jewish settlers burn mosque in Jerusalem and vow similar attacks

15/12/2011

A large group of Jewish settlers set fire to a mosque in the city of Jerusalem early on Wednesday, one of a growing number of attacks on Palestinians and their institutions as part of the so-called "price tag" for the dismantling of illegal settler "outposts" by the Israeli government. The latest arson attack took place against the Okasha Mosque in west Jerusalem; the building and contents were damaged. The arsonists scrawled offensive anti-Arab and anti-Muslim graffiti on the walls before they left, including insults about Prophet

Muhammad (peace be upon him) as well as the now ubiquitous "price tag". The slogans are the same as those used by groups of settlers who have been active in attacking Palestinians and their properties across the occupied West Bank and inside Israel. They have threatened to carry out further attacks.

A spokesman for the Israeli Fire Service, Assaf Ibras, said that the preliminary investigation into the incident indicates that the fire was started deliberately. The Israeli-run Jerusalem Municipality was instructed to close the mosque when the fire was extinguished.

Meanwhile, in the north of the West Bank, Jewish settlers set fire to three vehicles belonging to Palestinians in Nablus and Salfit. Police reports say that racist slogans were also sprayed on walls near the scenes of the arson attacks.

Source: MEMO

“Israel” destroys 500 Palestinian homes and displaces 1,000 during 2011

14/12/2011

International human rights organizations have accused Israeli authorities of escalating operations to destroy Palestinian property over the past year. They asserted that "When compared to 2010, [the occupation had] doubled the pace of home demolitions and destruction of wells."


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In a joint statement signed by over twenty human rights organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam, they stated that "Jewish settler violence against Palestinians has increased since 2011 and Israel has accelerated the expansion of settlements."

The statement drew attention to the fact that Israeli authorities had destroyed more than 500 Palestinian homes, alongside wells and other infrastructure and facilities over the past year. It has also displaced over 1,000 people; the largest number in a single year since 2005.

The human rights organizations indicated that settler attacks against Palestinians, including the willful damage of approximately 10,000 privately owned olive trees amounted to the worst rate since 2005. When compared 2010, the rate of attacks has increased by 50% and compared to 2009, it has increased by 160%. They drew attention to the fact that "the (settler) perpetrators of violations

enjoyed virtual impunity from punishment, such that in the period between 2005 and 2010, 90% of complaints submitted to the police were dismissed without charge." Quoting statistics from the Israeli organization Peace Now, the statement added that "Over the last year, Israel has approved plans to build 4,000 additional settler houses; the largest number since 2006." It urged members the Middle East Quartet; the US, the EU, The UN and Russia, to put pressure on Israel "to depart from their current settlement policies and freeze all acts of demolition which represent a violation of international law." The publication of this report coincides with a planned visit to the region by representatives of the Middle East Quartet. The visit aims to revive peace talks which stalled last year due to the escalation of settlement activity in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Source: MEMO

Human rights group appeal for saving the lives of 450 patients in Gaza

15/12/2011

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) appealed on Thursday to the PA President, Mahmoud Abbas, to intervene

to save the lives of 450 kidney patients in the Gaza Strip as their lives are endangered due to the lack of Dialysis filers.

“According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on Thursday at noon, 15 December 2011, blood filters ran out at all hospitals in the Gaza Strip, and consequently, dialyses for 450 patients who suffer from renal failure have been stopped.”

“In the aftermath of this serious development, PCHR participated in a meeting that was held in the office of World Health Organization in Gaza to discuss the serious impacts of the lack of


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this disposable on the lives of patients. The meeting was attended by figures and international and local organizations that are involved in the health sector.

“The participants have concluded that the lack of this disposable seriously endangers the lives of patients, and its lack is the outcome of political differences between the Ministries of Health in Ramallah and Gaza. They have attempted to find mechanisms to provide this disposable but they have not been able as it is fully depleted in medical warehouses and pharmacies, especially in the Gaza Strip.

This disposable is available only in the warehouses of the Ministry of Health in Ramallah.

“PCHR expresses utmost concern for the lives of these patients, and appeals to President Mahmoud Abbas to immediately intervene and instruct the Ministry of Health in Ramallah to provide blood filters to the Gaza Strip immediately and regularly.”

Source: PIC

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Delegations of 15 states coordinate efforts to stage worldwide rally for Jerusalem

15/12/2011

Delegations from 15 countries attended on Wednesday in Amman the meeting which was called for by the preparatory committee for the worldwide rally to be held in support of occupied Jerusalem in the coming months. The attendees discussed ways to coordinate efforts to organize a worldwide massive rally for Jerusalem demanding an end to Israel's Judaization and ethnic cleansing activities against the holy city and its indigenous people.

In a joint announcement issued in the meeting, the conferees invited the world's free peoples to participate actively in the massive rally to be held worldwide on 30 March. The rally will include massive popular marches staged in three Arab countries bordering occupied Palestine and three others will take place locally inside the 1948 occupied lands, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The meeting intends to organize marches concurrently in other parts of the world. In the meeting, an international committee for coordinating the rally was formed to communicate and network with all popular and official parties around the world to ensure the largest possible participation in this event. Zaher Berawi, a member of the committee responsible for organizing this rally, told the PIC that this rally would be the largest in the history of pro-Palestine demonstrations and it would be a multinational popular move carrying a message to the Israeli occupation and all


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concerned parties that the patience of the world on Israel's violations against Jerusalem and its natives has come to an end.

"It is the age of peoples and this popular rally will be a milestone in the history of the conflict with the occupation," he said.

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Palestine flag raised at UNESCO headquarters

13/12/2011

Palestinians have raised their flag at the headquarters of the UN cultural agency in Paris in a historic move and symbolic boost for their push for an independent state.

Cheers rose alongside the red, black, white and green flag during a ceremony held in the rain on Tuesday.

"This is truly a historic moment," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said at the ceremony, his speech punctuated by rousing applause and standing ovations.

"We hope this will be a good auspice for Palestine to become a member of other organisations," he said.

Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from Paris, said, "it was a moment steeped in symbolism".

Palestine was admitted as a member of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in an October vote that prompted the US to cut off funds to the

agency. Two US laws required the halt in the flow of funds to the agency, forcing it to scale back literacy and development programmes in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and the new nation of South Sudan.

The Palestinians also are seeking full-fledged UN membership, but Washington has threatened to veto that move, saying a negotiated settlement with Israel should come first. Abbas said on Tuesday that efforts were continuing to gain full UN membership and admission to other international institutions.

"We are currently holding talks with the parties. We have not yet asked for a vote but this could happen at any moment," he said.

"If we don't have a majority, we will repeat our request again and again."

'Tense diplomatic atmosphere'

Al Jazeera's Rowland said: "President Abbas made it quite clear that it was an important and significant step on the road towards Palestinian statehood. And he also reiterated his willingness to restart peace talks with Israel.

"It seems that everyone agrees that negotiations are not in any way ruled out by this move but [it] certainly has led to a more tense diplomatic atmosphere," she said. US officials have said UNESCO's decision risked undermining the international community's work towards a


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comprehensive Middle East peace plan, and could be a distraction from the aim of restarting direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

The US contributes $80m annually in dues - 22 per cent of UNESCO's overall budget - and its 2011 contribution was not yet in when the laws took effect, immediately throwing UNESCO into crisis.

Several countries are lobbying the US to renew its funding.

"The suspension of the lion’s share of the funding to UNESCO really threatens the UN body's ability to continue with very important, particularly educational programmes, some of which are in

Palestinian territories themselves," our correspondent said.

"Really the problem now for UNESCO is to find other donors, other member states to come forward and bring that money.

"There is a serious question over the future ability of UNESCO to carry out some of its very important projects."

UNESCO is known for its programme to protect cultures via its World Heritage sites, but its core mission also includes activities such as helping eradicate poverty, ensuring clean water, teaching girls to read and promoting freedom of speech.

Source: Aljazeera

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