the idiot was not murdered, she is dead because she stood in front of a moving bulldozer on which the field of vision was too narrow for the driver to have seen her. She deserves a Darwin award though. The IDF produced a video about Corrie's death that includes footage taken from inside the cockpit of a D9. It makes a "credible case," Joshua Hammer wrote in Mother Jones, that "the operators, peering out through narrow, double-glazed, bulletproof windows, their view obscured behind pistons and the giant scooper, might not have seen Corrie kneeling in front of them."[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Corrie
Yeah!! And we all know that if the IDF conducted their own investigation then it must be true!!! AMY GOODMAN: Well, arenât theyâisnât the Israeli military saying that they didnât see Rachel Corrie when the Israeli military bulldozer ran over her and then backed up over her again, crushing her twice? CRAIG CORRIE: Well, they have said that and, of course, they have also said that they didnât run over her. They said that she was killed by a wall falling on her. They have said a number of things. Thatâs why we need an independent investigation. http://www.democracynow.org/2005/3/16/family_of_rachel_corrie_sues_israeli I do not know if people remember how right after her death, the idf's "INVESTIGATION" Concluded that she was crushed by a falling wall! When that did not wash, we were fed another "IDF INVESTIGATION" That was generous enough to allow us to conclude that she was "An Idiot" and that the poor idf bulldozer driver did not see her in his rush to demolish a home on top of a Palestinian doctor's family. Yeah...We have seen the conclusion of idf investigations.
Israeli settlers attempt to confiscate a Palestinian-owned store in East Jerusalem Friday March 21, 2008 16:47 by Maisa Abu Ghazaleh - IMEMC News On Friday, a group of Israeli settlers attempted to confiscate a Palestinian-owned store in East Jerusalem. The Palestinian family who owned the store were surprised when a group of Israeli settlers accompanied by construction workers entered illegally and would not leave. Wesal Arna'ut, member of the owner's family, said that she filed a complaint with a nearby Israeli police station against the invasion and submitted a court order she obtained from an Israeli court preventing any kind of unauthorized construction work in the store. She stated that later four Israeli police officers arrived at the scene and stopped the workers, forcing them out of the store. A few hours later she received a phone call from the police station telling her that the Israeli settlers submitted documents in which they claimed that they purchased the store from the family. Wesal refuted this claim and stated that the store was never purchased or rented, affirming her ownership. She called on all Palestinian officials in East Jerusalem to intervene to stop the settlers from attempts to confiscate the store. http://www.imemc.org/article/53621
Palestinian officials accuse Israel of forging ownership documents of East Jerusalem buildings Saturday March 22, 2008 16:58 by Manar Jibrin - IMEMC News Hatem Abed al Qader, the advisor of the Palestinian premier for Jerusalem affairs affirmed on Saturday the Israeli authorities are confiscating Palestinian owned homes in East Jerusalem as part of their attacks on the city. He added that what is happening is illegal and illegitimate, there is no legality of the Israeli ownership of the of any part of the city especially homes. Abed al Qader had accused the Israeli authorities of forging papers to confiscate 600 Palestinian owned buildings in East Jerusalem among them 129 buildings that are already registered in the Israeli department of lands registration. Saturday Adnan al Huseini, advisor of the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas for Jerusalem affairs, commented filing the issue to the Israeli courts to and affirmed that the Israeli courts are unfair and will not give the Palestinians their rights especially in East Jerusalem and do not serve the Palestinian cause. http://www.imemc.org/article/53635
Efrat settlement near Bethlehem to expand Friday March 21, 2008 20:51 by IMEMC News The administration of Efrat, an illegal Israeli settlement near Bethlehem, decided to launch a construction project to build a new âneighborhoodâ which will be added to the settlement by annexing more Palestinian-owned lands. Elly Mizrahi, the mayor of the Efrat settlement will head a âcelebrationâ along with the settlement's chief Rabbi and will place the cornerstone of two new buildings which will include 54 housing units and a park, according to the right-wing Israeli newspaper Makor Reshon. In 2003, the Israeli government gave its preliminary agreement to this project. There are nearly 4000 settlers living in Efrat and it is considered part of the Gush Ezion settlement bloc, south of Jerusalem. Meanwhile, in Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, settlers created a new illegal settlement "outpost" composed of four caravans in order to âtemporarilyâ host new settler families after receiving approval from the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Creation and expansion of settlements on occupied land in the West Bank and Jerusalem is in violation of international law. These activities also are in direct violation of the US-backed "Road Map" Plan which calls for freezing of all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. http://www.imemc.org/article/53623
Thursday March 20, 2008 17:20 by Pennie Quinton House demolitions, near Yatta village south of Hebron in the West bank on the 19th march 2008. The Christian Peacemaker Teams, a human rights action group based in the area telephoned the office of IMEMC (the International Middle East media Centre) in Beit Sahour near Bethlehem.âThree houses belonging to Palestinian villagers are being destroyed by the Israeli army with bulldozersâ Drive for 1 hour south of Hebron, through steep rock scattered hills, used for centuries by Palestinian shepherds and farmers for grazing their herds and olive growing.Yet despite this being the West bank, and technically Palestine, the Israel occupation is visible from every hill-top, the red roofed houses of illegal settlements cluster on every summit, land stolen by Israeli settlers, using force, no contracts or money has been exchanged with the families who have cared and nurtured these hills for hundreds of years, this land was taken from them at the butt of a gun. Along a deserted road we reach the remains of a home, now a mass of broken concrete and twisted metal.About ten women and children sit on a dry stonewall their backs turned to the road.The Red Cross unload emergency supplies.The entire family, in total around 20 people seem very quiet and contained as they attempt to deal with this catastrophe. I ask if it is ok to take video and stills, they agree and I move to photograph a heap of furniture stacked on the hillside.Two women come and lift the tarpaulin so I can get shots of the mattresses and bedroom furniture underneath. The army had arrived unexpectedly telling the family they had just 20 minutes to get all of their possessions and furniture out of the second storey because it had to be demolished, as there had been no permission given for its construction. After 16 minutes the army drove the bulldozers in. The second storey, which had accommodated the 20 family members, was destroyed along with the possessions they had not yet retrieved, including their electricity generator.All the wives wedding jewellery had been sold to pay for its construction. Now houseless on a hillside, the women and children sit calmly, young men construct two Red Cross tents, the only shelter on offer to house 20 people. When the army crushed the house, settlers driving past to their all mod-cons abodes at the top of the hill, sounded their horns in support of the armyâs actions and jeered at the familiesâ distress.As I film the younger children run in and out of the tent, laughing, pushing to be in my shots, as if this is all just a game. I find myself worrying about them at night time, so exposed on the high ground, when temperatures plummet. The area here belongs to this extended family â we have the papersâ they say, and when the settlers took their land they hired lawyers and went to the Israeli courts to contest the theft of their acres.Thirty acres, had been initially squatted by settlers and the court case drags on. On some points the family wins, when this happens the army comes and destroys another one of their homes. They have had 35 houses destroyed so far and are afraid to rebuild.Just down the hill, the head of the family shows me the remains of a beautiful Arabic house built by his ancestors 150 years ago. The army had destroyed it and now he stables his flocks itsâ ruins, again afraid to rebuild â They even came and destroyed my caravanâ he said pointing to a battered mobile home perched on the edge of the hill. His wives and children wave hello from inside a make shift shed.Thirty-five soldiers had arrived onto their land the previous night and with bulldozers crushed a little house built for his sonâs new family.âThe Israelis want us to leave, but we will never leave, this was my great great great grandfathers land, and I will die here rather than leaveâ said Ismael Ibrihim Alâatrah the head of the family. http://www.imemc.org/article/53609
The Gaza siege claims its 115th victim [ 21/03/2008 - 09:40 PM ] GAZA, (PIC)-- Two more Palestinian patients died in the Gaza Strip as a result of being denied travel out of the Gaza Strip to seek medical treatment which is not available Gaza, according to Palestinian medical sources. Muhammd Baroud (68 years), resident of the Nusairat Refugee Camp in the central Gaza Strip and Shafiq Muhammad Abu al-Kas (45 years) from Beit Lahya in the northern Gaza Strip, both died of heart problems. The death of the two patients brings to 115 the number of Palestinian patients who died as a result of the tightening of the siege since mid-June last year after Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip. There are over a thousand patients in the Gaza Strip who need treatment abroad as they cannot be treated in local hospitals.
Israeli forces seize 17-year-old girl in Balata refugee camp Date: 21 / 03 / 2008 Time: 12:17 Nablus â Ma'an - Israeli forces seized a 17-year-old girl in the Balata refugee camp east of Nablus on Friday at dawn, after storming her house, as well as breaking into a number of other houses in the city. Palestinian security sources told Ma'an's Nablus correspondent that the Israeli forces arrested Muntaha Ya'qub Al -Khatib after bursting into her home amid gunfire sound bombs. The sources added that the Israeli forces also raided a number of other houses in several districts of the city, claiming they were searching for 'wanted' Palestinians http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=28402
Israeli restrictions against Palestinian Christians at Easter 21.03.08 - 15:09 Bethlehem / Najib Farrag â Easter time has come around again and the routine Israeli restrictions against Palestinian Christians attempting to enter East Jerusalemâs Church of the Holy Sepulcher remain. Some of the obstacles are new, others are familiar. Palestinian Christians are expected to apply well in advance with the Israeli government in order to obtain magnetic cards that âclear them for security purposes,â a well-informed source said on Good Friday. These are the types of cards that day-laborers apply for in order to be able to work inside the Israeli boundaries. Many are rejected, particularly young men. A resident of the eastern Bethlehem town of Beit Sahour said that he and his family have been refused permission to attend Easter services for four years in a row. Others are reporting being turned down for permission without even being cited as âsecurity risks.â Church officials in both Bethlehem and Jerusalem are continuing to point out that the Israeli actions constitute a ârestriction of freedom of worship and access to holy places.â This contravenes international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Easter celebrations will continue for a month as the different sects of Christianity represented among Palestinians follow the western and eastern calendars. The Latin Patriarch, Michel Sabah, is retiring. Some people are ostensibly going to be let through the myriad checkpoints within the West Bank to reach the Church after officials made specific requests. The Latin portion of the Church of Nativity submitted requests for 2,500 Christians to attend services at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. This number is far less than the number of Palestinians who wish to worship freely, but it was the highest number the Israelis would accept. Although even with the permits, the gates of the checkpoints may still be closed in their faces as has happened in years past. Church officials in Bethlehem say that Jerusalem must remain open to the thousands of Palestinians who wish to practice their religions, whether Christian or Muslim, but are routinely prevented by Israeli restrictions. http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2554&Itemid=1
Last update - 10:28 21/03/2008 Rabbinic fatwas By Haaretz Editorial Tags: fatwas The massacre at the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva seems to have shocked the religious community more than previous terrorist attacks, and they have responded accordingly. In recent days a number of halakhic instructions have been issued seeking to widen the division between Jews and Arabs. Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, among the most important rabbis in the ultra-Orthodox community, ordered a complete stop to employing Arabs in yeshivas; the head of the Council of Rabbis of Judea and Samaria, Rabbi Dov Lior, ruled that employing Arabs must stop in general, and that even renting them homes should stop. The two rabbis justify their rulings on the need to safeguard lives in view of the massacre, and not on hatred of Arabs. But there is a difference between the two: Kanievsky limits his ruling to employing Arabs in yeshivas, and he may genuinely hope this will narrow the threat to lives. But Lior broadens it to the general employment of Arabs and even to renting them apartments, which raises concerns that this is a way of taking advantage of the massacre and fear of Arabs to spread a view aiming to expel the Arabs from the country by creating conditions that encourage such a flight. Lior's rulings also appear to incite racism. Both rulings should be rejected completely because both call for disproportionate collective punishment. One murderer, who was not employed in the yeshiva where he carried out the massacre, and even some of the other acts of terrorism carried out by Israeli Arabs in recent years, should not result in a general boycott of the Arab community. It is neither right nor ethical, and will only exacerbate the hatred that already exists between the two peoples. After all, the Arabs who will not be able to find jobs because of their national identity will not be encouraged by this to be more supportive of Israel. Advertisement It is no coincidence that the broad Israeli public, the people who do not obey halakhic rulings, did not even consider the possibility, even after the shock of the massacre, to retaliate by targeting the employment of Arabs or their freedom of movement among us. As such, these rulings are not an expression of public sentiment but extremist ideological rulings that seek to raise the wall higher and augment the hatred between the two peoples. These rulings also heighten a dangerous process in which a national conflict between two peoples that can be resolved by compromise is transformed into a religious conflict where extremist halakhic rulings and fatwas - their Islamic counterparts - prevent compromise and perpetuate hatred. It is particularly puzzling when such statements are made by the rabbi representing the people who choose to live in the territories, very near a large Arab population. Does Lior really want the settlements to be enclaves that have no interaction with the population in whose proximity they exist? It would be appropriate for the rabbis to take advantage of their standing to restore calm and step up security at the yeshivas, and not leave them unguarded. And mostly, to confront the roots of the conflict and the need to develop a dialogue between the peoples and religions in an effort to spur compromises and not eternal wars in which each side is convinced that the goal dictated by its faith is total submission. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/966766.html