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UN Rapporteur compares Israel to Apartheid South Africa

27 February 2007


The UN’s Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, John Dugard, has issued a harshly critical report on Israel’s human rights record in regards to its treatment of the Palestinians in occupied Palestine. “The international community, speaking through the United Nations, has identified three regimes as inimical to human rights - foreign occupation, apartheid and colonialism,” Dugard says. In a report posted on the UN Human Rights Council’s website, due to be tabled this week, the South African law professor accuses Israeli regime of all three. 

Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination considers Israel

23 February 2007


Last week, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has considered the tenth to thirteenth periodic reports of Israel on its implementation of the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. In preliminary concluding observations, Morten Kjaerum, the Committee Expert who served as country Rapporteur for the report of Israel, welcomed the information provided by the Israeli delegation on affirmative action plans. However, relying on jurisprudence of the Supreme Court according to which the principle of equality was derived from the Basic Law on dignity was not sufficient. 

Traditional Egyptian Influence Begins to Decline

Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani 27 February 2007


CAIRO, Feb 27 (IPS) - The Mecca Agreement was hailed throughout the Arab world earlier this month for putting an end to Palestinian infighting, which had claimed scores of lives. But some local analysts see the deal — which was sponsored by Egypt’s diplomatic rival Saudi Arabia — as an indication of Cairo’s waning influence as the principal mediator in inter-Palestinian disputes. “Egypt’s diplomatic role has declined and has turned into that of a spectator,” Abdel-Halim Kandil, editor-in-chief of opposition weekly al-Karama told IPS. 

UN official urges world community to match 'courage' of Palestinian unity government

27 February 2007


The agreement to form a new Palestinian Unity Government challenges the international community to “match the courage and compromises” shown by the rival parties with “bold steps of its own,” a senior United Nations official said today. “The inter-factional fighting that raged across parts of Gaza posed a genuine threat to the existence of the Palestinian polity,” UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Karen Koning AbuZayd told a meeting of the agency’s Advisory Commission in Amman, Jordan. 

Settlers assault family as soldiers look on: Three testimonies

27 February 2007


Shopkeeper Dahud Jabber testifies to B’Tselem: “We heard stones hit the door of the grocery store. They [the settlers] threw stones for about an hour. They swore and shouted, “We want to slaughter Arabs.” A neighbor of mine, Tareq, said that they also threw stones at his house. They did all this with Israeli soldiers next to them. We did not file a complaint with anyone. Who could we complain to? We had already complained and never got any results. Another neighbor, Sufyan, told me that settlers broke into his house the same night and assaulted his family.” 

How to Live with Hunger

Ran HaCohen 27 February 2007


When I was a child, a popular argument in favor of the Israeli “liberation,” i.e., occupation, of the Palestinian territories was its being a blessing for the Palestinians themselves. “When we took it over,” I was told at school, “there were just a couple of cars in the entire West Bank. And look how many they have now!” Indeed, in the first decades of the Israeli occupation, the Palestinian standard of living was on the rise — not because of Israeli investments (Israel never invested a cent in Palestinian welfare or infrastructure), but mainly because Israel exploited the Palestinians as a cheap labor force, and even a cheap labor force gets paid. 

Three women killed in separate Gaza City crimes

27 February 2007


PCHR strongly condemns the killing of three women from Gaza City during the past 24 hours, in three separate crimes that took place under similar circumstances. The Centre calls upon the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), represented by the Attorney General, to seriously investigate these crimes, and bring the perpetrators to justice. PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 22:15 on Monday, 26 February 2007, people found the body of a female in the Salatin area, west of Beit Lahia. 

Gaza: Non-Entity

Philip Rizk Gaza Strip, Palestine 26 February 2007


Leaving Gaza requires one to walk through a long tunnel made up of turnstiles, X-ray machines, gates, cages and passport controls. This past Wednesday I found the tunnel ending abruptly ahead of me, a crudely fashioned wall barred me from the usual way of entry — instead, an opening to the right lead to an unknown place. I turned the corner and found myself in an Orwellian passage leading to a huge building with four automatic doors that were shut tight. Along this fenced-in passageway runs an anachronistic, medieval ditch, beyond it a mound made of rubble and dirt of the once magnificently fruitful region of Beit Hanoun. 

Honk for Suzi's Freedom: Palestinian family still detained at Haskell Prison

Greg Moses 26 February 2007


For many miles of his protest walks, whether against border walls or children’s prisons, Jay Johnson-Castro has walked alone. His four-day walk from Abilene to Haskell, Texas this week may be no different, as he protests the cruel and unusual treatment of the Hazahza family and immigrant prisoners like them. But there are two things to remember about Jay’s walk this week. The first thing is how many people will be honking. “There are literally thousands of people every day who honk, wave, and take photographs as they drive by,” Jay explains over the telephone from his home in Del Rio. 

Second day of "Operation Hot Winter" in Nablus

26 February 2007


For the second executive day, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have continued their wide-scale military operation inside Nablus. No casualties among the Palestinian civilian population have been reported, but the IOF military operation has paralyzed all aspects of daily life in the city, which has been placed under a curfew. PCHR strongly condemns this latest operation, and remains concerned over its outcome, especially as IOF declared that their Operation “Hot Winter” in Nablus could continue for several days.