Meesar Lahan’s personal story represents thousands of Palestinian refugees filtering into the Shatila refugee camp of Lebanon from war-stricken Syria. Their move to Lebanon represents a second displacement (the first being from Palestine), and many of these refugees are giving up hope, some even considering a return with their families back to Syria. The labyrinth of discrimination and segregation specific to the already existing Palestinian refugee population of Lebanon has made many of the new arrivals feel that Syria, despite the violence, offers more dignity and a greater ability to live within their economic means.
Abbas’ recent statement on Israeli TV seemingly brushed aside Palestinians’ right of return. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon expressed little surprise over this statement, saying that their situation has little significance in the eyes of their supposed leaders.
Israeli & Egyptian Siege on Gaza
The Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf: breaking the siege on Gaza is an Islamic duty
The Undersecretary of the Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf, Dr. Jamal Abdul Sattar, said that the breaking of the siege on the Gaza strip is an Islamic duty.
Above is video of Benjamin Netanyahu addressing around 50 foreign ambassadors yesterday in Ashkelon as part of his effort to "shore up international support for a possible military ground operation into Gaza." To really capture the energy in the room, run this sound effect in the background while you watch the video.
Israel continued its aerial bombardment of Gaza for a fourth consecutive day Tuesday morning, striking an uninhabited area it said was used to store weapons and launch rockets, as a 20-year-old Palestinian died from injuries sustained during Israeli attacks on Saturday. The man, Mohammed Ziad Abdullah Quno, was critically wounded when Israeli tanks shelled a civilian area in Gaza City Saturday, killing four others, mostly children, and injuring at least 25. Quno's death brings the total number of people killed in Gaza to seven since Saturday.
Fighter Dies Of Wounds Suffered Saturday
Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported, Tuesday, that a resistance fighter died of wounds suffered last Saturday during the latest wave of Israeli military escalation against the coastal region.
The IDF likes to reverse the old saying: “Let no good deed go unpunished.” It likes to ensure that no war crime goes unrewarded. Col. Ilan Malka, who was named by the Goldstone Report as possibly responsible for two sets of war crimes during Operation Cast Lead (one of them was the murder of the al-Samouni family, resulting in the deaths of 20 civilians including women and children), just received a promotion from the IDF chief of staff. He will be the new chief of staff of the Central Command, assigned to protect settlements and provide the security necessary for expanding the settler enterprise in the West Bank. He will rise in rank from Colonel to Brigadier General.
Illegal Arrests
Israeli forces on Tuesday detained a 10-year-old boy for several hours in Hebron, Palestinian officials said., Muhammad Amer Burqan was detained for two-and-a-half hours in Hebron's Old City, officials at the Palestinian liaison department told Ma'an., They said they contacted Israeli liaison officials several times before the boy was released., A spokesman for Israel's border police could not be reached for comment.
IOF arrests 11 Palestinians, including 2 women, in West Bank
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested at dawn Tuesday eleven Palestinians, including two women, in different parts of the West Bank, and took them to the interrogation centers.
IOF arrests the activist in Jihad movement Mona Ka'adan in Jenin
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested at dawn today, an activist in the Islamic Jihad movement, Mona Awad Ka'adan, 45, during the storming of the Arraba town in Jenin Governorate.
Hamas security forces beat female activists at a rally in Gaza City calling, for national reconciliation on Nov. 6. (MaanImages), GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Hamas security forces arrested six protesters in Gaza City on Tuesday at a women-led demonstration demanding national reconciliation, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine said., DFLP central committee members Mahmoud Khalaf and Nabil Attallah were among those detained at the weekly protest organized by women's groups including the general union of Palestinian women, DFLP said in a statement., DFLP leader Saleh Zaydan told Ma'an that party members Nabil Dyab and Khaled Abu Sharekh were also detained., Zaydan denounced the aggressive response of security forces and called for the protesters' immediate release. He urged the Hamas government to investigate the incident and to apologize for the arrests., Witnesses told Ma'an that internal security forces detained a number of civil society leaders as they left the protest.
Other Prisoner News
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- An Israeli military court sentenced an ex-prisoner to 10 months in jail on Tuesday, a prisoners group said. The Palestinian Prisoners Society said Asma Batran, 24, was given a 10 month sentence and fined 2,000 shekels ($509) for organizing political activities at university. Batran, who is said to be affiliated with Hamas, was arrested by Israeli forces on Aug. 27 from her home in the Hebron village of Ithna. She had previously spent 20 months in Israeli jails before being released in August 2009. Earlier Tuesday, Israeli forces re-arrested released female prisoner Muna Qadan in Jenin, the Ahrar center for prisoners studies and human rights said.
Addameer demands accountability for all of Israel’s human rights violations related to the continued hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners. It is imperative that Ayman Sharawna, Samer Al-Issawi, Akram Rikhawi and Mohammad Kana’aneh are treated humanely, with dignity and receive immediate independent medical attention. Write to the Israeli government, military and legal authorities and demand that the hunger striking prisoners be released immediately.
Addameer is deeply concerned for the lives of three hunger strikers and the health of one former hunger striker who are held in Israeli prisons., Ayman Sharawna has been on an open hunger strike since 1 July 2012; today marks his 136th day of striking. Addameer lawyer Fares Ziad recently visited Ayman at Ramleh prison medical center, and found Ayman’s health so drastically deteriorated that in addition to the previously reported pain in his right leg, joints, kidneys, skin problems and memory loss, he is now unable to stand, speak easily or urinate, and just recently has been able to ingest water. Ayman is now taking fluids through injection, although medical intervention by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) has caused him pain and infections.
Protests / Solidarity / Activism / BDS
Egyptians have demonstrated in Cairo to protest against the latest Israeli attacks on Gaza and called for the suspension of ties with the Tel Aviv regime.
Vending machine in college canteen no longer contains Israeli goods after request by students.
Just over a year since an Orange County jury, in a politically-motivated prosecution, convicted the “Irvine 11” students for disrupting a lecture by Israeli Ambassdor Michael Oren, the Associated Students of UC Irvine voted unanimously tonight to call for divestment from companies that profit from Israeli occupation., The vote deals a major blow to intense efforts by Israel and allied organizations to suppress Palestinian solidarity activism on campus, particularly at UC Irvine, part of the University of California system., The resolution, passed by 16-0 with no abstentions, calls on the University of California to divest from companies, including Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, General Electric, Sodastream, Raytheon and L-3 Communications, that assist or directly profit from Israeli occupation and human rights abuses.
BDS Roundup: Veolia loses another major contract in UK
Latest roundup of news from the global BDS movement: Veolia loses a $63 million contract in the UK; the Technical University of Denmark drops scientific collaboration projects with an Israeli settlement; and more!
STOP G4S! Right to Education Week Action
As part of Right to Education Week 2012, an international week of events called for by students at Birzeit University to raise awareness of the right of those in occupied Palestine to education, Scottish students from Glasgow and Dundee Universities staged an action against multi-national security corporation G4S, which has recently found itself in the public eye over its shambolic handling of security at the London Olympics.
It is not just Danish companies, but also Danish universities that have connections to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine. The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is working together with Ariel University, located in the settlement by the same name. According to DTU the collaboration dates back to the 1990s. After DanWatch presented the information to the leadership of DTU, president of DTU Anders Bjarklev chose to stop the collaboration immediatley: "We have ended the cooperation immediately after we were made aware of it," he says: The money that was devoted to analyses in the laboratories of Ariel University has been suspended and will be paid back to the fund that supplied the finances."
Israeli Racism & Discrimination
Israel Hayom English Editor Amir Mizroch live tweeted an event with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman today where he revisited many of his favorite themes including the threat that Palestinian citizens of Israel represent, and his undemocratic vision for the future of Israel. Lieberman was addressing the Sanhedrin Forum for young professionals in Tel Aviv and although the event was supposed to be off-the-record Mizroch tweeted that Lieberman knew it was being reported. Just as reminder, Lieberman and Benjamin Netanyahu will be merging their political parties ahead of Israeli elections in January.
Rightist lawmakers split from National Union to 'fight for country's Jewish character'
After riots ravage Bedouin village, residents say police used undue force, violated minors' rights
Watch: ESPN documentary exposes Israel's racist football club, Jalal Abukhater
A short documentary produced by an American cable network exposes Beitar Jerusalem’s racist fan base.
The government of Ismail Haneyya has called on the Arab countries to adopt serious and important stands vis-à-vis the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
A European press freedom group said Monday it was concerned about the Palestinian Authority's steps to put pressure on a columnist who criticized President Mahmoud Abbas' office., The Vienna-based International Press Institute said it was joining Palestinian journalists who have raised concerns about the PA's treatment of Jihad Harb after he questioned hiring practices at Abbas' office., Harb's article, published by Ma'an and other Palestinian news sites in August, was based on a report by the Palestinian chapter of Transparency International and included his criticisms.
Syrian regime forces reportedly launched attacks into the Golan Heights in the early hours of Wednesday, shelling over Beer Ajam and other areas nearby, according to the SANA Revolution activist group.