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UNCTAD supports Palestinian Shippers Council

23 September 2005


UNCTAD, with funds contributed by the European Commission (EC), is stepping up technical assistance to support the creation of a Palestinian Shippers Council and the extension of computerized customs operations to the Gaza border with Egypt. The two new field projects will have budgets totalling €703,000. The projects add to UNCTAD´s already-extensive efforts to help the Palestinian people revitalize their economy and build the institutional structures of their future state. They address key economic problems and were designed in close consultation with relevant Palestinian Authority (PA) institutions, international development agencies and concerned donors. 

Security Council calls for renewed action by Israel and Palestinian Authority

23 September 2005


The Security Council today expressed support for the statement issued in New York on 20 September by the Quartet and urged the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to cooperate, along with other parties concerned, with the efforts to achieve the goals set out in that statement. Following a briefing by Alvaro de Soto, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Council President Lauro Baja (Philippines) read out a presidential statement in which the Council called for renewed action in parallel by the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority on their obligations in accordance with the Road Map, to ensure continued progress towards the creation of an independent sovereign, democratic and viable State of Palestine living side by side with Israel in peace and security. 

USA TODAY misplaces 98,000 antiwar protestors

24 September 2005


In an unfortunate mishap, editors at USA TODAY’s website misplaced 98,000 antiwar protestors for half an hour on Saturday afternoon. Editors became aware of the problem when staff from the publication’s Lost & Found office rang to notify them that they were overwhelmed by a sudden and unexplained influx of tens of thousands of people holding banners and chanting. FEMA officials contacted the publication’s human resources department to promise help somewhere around next Sunday’s issue, forcing the editors to take immediate action. 

Palestinian Prisoners must pay for Health

23 September 2005


22 September 2005, 13:30 — Israel Prison Service (IPS) relieved itself of responsibility for the health care of Palestinian prisoners in its custody and discriminates between them and other prisoners. According to the Israeli law, any prisoner held in Israel is eligible for medical care and the Israeli Prison Service must cover the cost. The IPS’s claim that the law is only for citizens is wrong (it applies to all residents) and is irrelevant, as the prisoners under its custody do not receive their medical care due to this law, but rather as per the IPS Commissionership’s Order. 

Church of England fails to rise to Caterpillar challenge

23 September 2005


Anti-poverty campaign group War on Want today expressed shock and £2.2 million investment from the construction firm Caterpillar. The Church’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) has been examining whether its investments in Caterpillar are consistent with the Church’s ethical investment policy, which prohibits investment in arms companies. The EIAG has now rejected calls for divestment, even though Caterpillar has refused to rule out future sales of its products to the Israeli army. 

The Israeli army's double standard: Treatment of settlers and Palestinians in August 2005

23 September 2005


MachsomWatch is an Israeli women’s organization that monitors one of the gravest aspects of the Occupation - the restriction of free movement by Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. In this report, the organisation asks “So what did we learn about the Israeli army’s double standard in August, during the evacuation of Israeli settlers from Gaza?” and offers reports of the parallel experiences of Palestinians and Israeli settlers during the month of the Gaza Disengagement. 

MapQuest.com obscures status of occupied territories

Ira Glunts 23 September 2005


Recently, I was quite surprised to find that the map of Israel on the popular Internet site MapQuest presents the area of the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights (Syrian Heights) as undifferentiated from Israel proper. In other words, as opposed to depicting Israel delineated by its internationally recognized borders, MapQuest displays the “Greater Israel,” which is the dream of many in the Israeli right wing.  The realization of this “Greater Israel,” of course, precludes any possibility of the Palestinian people realizing their national aspirations. 

The Palestinian 'Great Escape'

Rima Merriman 23 September 2005


It is only a matter of time before West Bankers start blasting holes in the wall Israel has built to contain them as though they were cattle. Right now, they seem to be satisfied with spraying graffiti on the wall and painting whimsical scenes of ladders and windows or representations of holes. On the Gaza Strip, in the fine tradition of great prison-escape movies, Hamas blasted a hole in the wall north of Rafah a few days ago to help people through. Islamic Jihad blasted a hole about a mile down the wall shortly after that. EI contributor Rima Merriman notes that Palestinians are refusing to read the lines Israel has written for them in a nightmarish script. 

Second Israeli High Court ruling Separation Wall

15 September 2005


The Supreme Court, in response to a petition submitted by ACRI, issued a precedent – setting ruling calling for the dismantling of an existing section of the barrier, and for the determination of an alternative route to lessen the impact on, and violation of, the rights of the resident Palestinian civilians. The petition was submitted on behalf of five villages that are currently trapped in an enclave created by the existing route of the barrier. In response to the petition: the Supreme Court ordered, for the first-time, the dismantling of a section of the separation barrier, and related to the legal relevance of the advisory opinion issued by the International court of Justice in The Hague. The ruling called for the dismantling of the section of the barrier surrounding the Alfei Menashe enclave. The resultant enclave, which was created by the route of the barrier, has a disastrous impact on the lives of its Palestinian residents and cuts them off from the rest of the West Bank, public services, and family ties. 

European Commission to support the Palestinians with 280 million Euro in 2005

19 September 2005


On the eve of the Quartet meeting (EU, US, UN and Russia) in New York on 20th September, the European Commission can announce that its allocation to the Palestinians in 2005 will be greater than foreseen, at around 280 million Euro. This package includes a substantial contribution to tackling the priorities identified by Quartet Special Envoy James Wolfensohn in the aftermath of the Israelis’ withdrawal from Gaza. A special 60 million allocation will help revive the Palestinian economy and create institutions capable of addressing the new responsibilities arising following disengagement. These efforts are designed to maintain the momentum created by Gaza withdrawal, and ensure that this important event leads on to full implementation of the Roadmap.