Humanitarian Issues

[ninathedog]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bgdz9gQdWg

(many thanks to Yousef Al-H)

WHAT IS THE NETUREI KARTA?

Neturei Karta opposed the establishment of and retain all opposition to the existence of the so-called "State of Israel"!

Neturei-Karta is the Aramaic term for "Guardians of the City. The name Neturei-Karta originates from an incident in which R. Yehudah Ha-Nassi (Rabbi Judah the Prince) sent R. Hiyya and R. Ashi on a pastoral tour of inspection. In one town they asked to see the "guardians of the city" and the city guard was paraded before them. They said that these were not the guardians of the city but its destroyers, which prompted the citizens to ask who, then, could be considered the guardians. The rabbis answered, "The scribes and the scholars," referring them to Tehillim (Psalms) Chap. 127. (Jerusalem Talmud, Tractate Hagiga. 76c).

The name was given to a group of Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem who refused (and still refuse) to recognize the existence or authority of the so-called "State of Israel" and made (and still make) a point of publicly demonstrating their position, the position of the Torah and authentic unadulterated Judaism.

The group was founded in Jerusalem, Palestine in 1938, splitting off from Agudas Yisroel. Agudas Yisroel was established in 1912 for the purpose of fighting Zionism. Gradually lured by money and honor they sold out to the "Golden-Calf" (see Exodus, XXXII) of Zionism. Those who wanted to maintain their faith and continue the struggle against Zionism, dissociated themselves from Agudas Yisroel and associated parties.

Over the years, a number of Neturei Karta activists and followers settled outside of Palestine. Some of the reasons that these individuals abandoned the country in which they and their families had lived for many generations (having lived there many years prior to the establishment of the illegitimate so-called "State of Israel") include; ideological refusal to live under the illegitimate heretical "Israeli" regime, their being exiled by the Zionist government for their insistence of remaining independent of the illegitimate heretical regime or them being unable to live a normal family life due to them and their families being persistently harassed, repeatedly incarcerated and many times even physically tortured by the Zionist police and agents. This dispersion resulted in the emergence of various Neturei Karta establishments on the broader international scene. These establishments include synagogues, educational institutions, publishing houses and organizations. The establishments in New York include three synagogues in Brooklyn (Boro Park and Williamsburg), three upstate, and organizations include the Friends of Jerusalem in NY, NY.

Neturei Karta is not - as is often alleged - a small sect or an extremist group of "ultra-orthodox" Jews. The Neturei Karta have added nothing to nor have they taken anything away from the written and oral law of the Torah as it is expressed in the Halacha and the Shulchan Aruch. The Neturei Karta are fighting the changes and inroads made by political Zionism during the past one-hundred odd years. Guided by the rabbis of our time and under the inspiring leadership of the late Reb Amram Blau, the Neturei Karta refuse to recognize the right of anyone to establish a "Jewish" state during the present period of exile.

There are those who wish to play down the Neturei Karta and its' Torah-true beliefs. This has been attempted many a time by stating that the Neturei Karta is a minority group and that compared to other Jewish groups the Neturei Karta aren't even noticeable in terms of number.

The name Neturei Karta is a name usually given to those people who regularly pray in the Neturei Karta synagogues (Torah Ve'Yirah Jerusalem, Torah U'Tefillah London, Torah U'Tefillah NY, Beis Yehudi Upstate NY, etc.), study in or send their children to educational institutions run by Neturei Karta, or actively participate in activities, assemblies or demonstrations called by the Neturei Karta. Although it is true that the number of families which could be classified as Neturei Karta members or activists per-se is relatively small (several thousand), the number of Orthodox Jews who believe in the anti-Zionist ideology which Neturei Karta is known for, number in the hundreds of thousands.

Neturei Karta oppose the so-called "State of Israel" not because it operates secularly, but because the entire concept of a sovereign Jewish state is contrary to Jewish Law.

All the great rabbis who in accordance with Jewish Law opposed Zionism at its inception did not do so merely due to consideration of the secular lifestyles of the then Zionist leaders or even for their opposition to Torah heritage and rejection of its values and practices, but due to the fact that the entire concept of a Jewish state is in direct conflict with a number of Judaism's fundamentals.

Condemnation of and segregation from anything connected to or affiliated with the so-called modern day "State of Israel" is based on the Talmud, the key fundamental doctrine of the Oral Tradition handed down by G-d to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The Talmud in Tractate Kesubos (p. 111a), teaches that Jews shall not use human force to bring about the establishment of a Jewish state before the coming of the universally accepted Moshiach (Messiah from the House of David). Furthermore it states that we are forbidden to rebel against the nations and that we should remain loyal citizens and we shall not attempt to leave the exile which G-d sent us into, ahead of time.

Jews are not allowed to dominate, kill, harm or demean another people and are not allowed to have anything to do with the Zionist enterprise, their political meddling and their wars.

Neturei Karta forbid any participation with the so-called "State of Israel" or any of its subsidiaries. Neturei Karta followers do not participate in "Israeli" elections nor do they accept any aid from "Bituach Le'Umi" (Social Security), and the educational institutions of the Neturei Karta reject any form of financial support from the so-called "Va'ad HaYeshivos" (equiv. to Department of Education).

The Zionist state employs a set of chief rabbis and uses religious parties to ornament their state with a clerical image. They study the Torah with commentaries altered to clothe the words with nationalistic nuances. Our rabbis have countless times proclaimed that it matters little which individuals or parties govern in the Zionist state because the very establishment and existence of the state itself is to be condemned and to be deplored.

The true Jews remain faithful to Jewish belief and are not contaminated with Zionism.

The true Jews are against dispossessing the Arabs of their land and homes. According to the Torah, the land should be returned to them.

Neturei Karta deplore the systematic uprooting of ancient Jewish communities by the Zionists, the shedding of Jewish and non-Jewish blood for the sake of Zionist sovereignty and the Neturei Karta favor a peaceful transition from the present Zionist rule to a non-Zionist entity.

According to Judaic Law the Torah has the last word. There is no such thing as a majority of Jews who happen to be Jewish by birth who can alter Torah Law in any way. In fact even the greatest rabbi or as Maimonides writes, "even the greatest prophet" [referring actually to an authentic prophet], has no right to distort or amend even one letter of the Torah.

Rabbi Blau stated shortly before his death that the acceptance by the United Nations of the Zionist state as a member state constituted a grave injustice to the Jewish people. Neturei Karta hope that this great error will be corrected at the earliest opportunity. The Neturei Karta regret that the Zionist state has usurped the holy name of Israel and that the Zionists so often pretend to speak in the name of the Jewish people and assume the right to act on our behalf. Only those rabbis who have not been affected or influenced by the poison of Zionism, can be considered the spiritual leaders of today's Jewry.

The world must know that the Zionists have illegitimately seized the name Israel and have no right to speak in the name of the Jewish people!

www.nkusa.org/AboutUs/index.cfm

Salute to the Advancement of the Palestinian State
January 27, 2011
New York City


PRESS RELEASE ISSUED: January 26, 2011 – New York City

On Thursday, January 27, with the help of the Almighty, Orthodox Rabbis and supporters from the Neturei Karta movement will gather in front of the Palestine Mission to the United Nations at 115 East 65th Street in New York City. At 9:30 AM a delegation of Rabbis will enter the mission to meet with His Excellency Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the Palestine Authority to the UN, and present him with a gift: a Palestinian flag to be flown over the mission building. Following the meeting, the delegation will address the gathering of the NK supporters and deliver a message to the press.

Rabbi Moshe Beck, a former Palestinian resident, Holocaust survivor, and senior Rabbi of the Orthodox anti-Zionist movement, said, "Masses of Orthodox Jews around the world who stand in strongest opposition to Zionism, because founding a Jewish state is against the Jewish belief and the Torah, salute this advancement toward a Palestinian state, and are honored to present a Palestinian flag to be flown high over their mission. We see the proud flying of the Palestinian flag as a step toward the complete peaceful dismantlement of the Zionist state. We are certain, with the help of the Almighty, that a Palestinian government over the entire Holy Land will bring about the harmonious coexistence of Jews and Arabs in Palestine and in the rest of the world, as they coexisted for centuries before the advent of Zionism."

Date: January 27, 2011
Time: 9:30 AM
Place: Palestine Mission to the United Nations
115 East 65th Street in New York City











Ambassador Riyad Mansour shakes hands with A.Z., 12.

www.nkusa.org/activities/Demonstrations/20110127.cfm#

[ninathedog]

Israeli army kills
2 teenagers in Gaza

Published yesterday (updated) 21/03/2011 17:06
Ma'an News Agency

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The bodies of two Gaza teenagers were retrieved by Palestinian medics late Sunday morning, after being killed by Israeli fire some 12 hours earlier in the border area east of Gaza City.

Medical crews said they were only permitted to access the site, east of Juhor Addik and north of the Al-Bureij refugee camp, when they got a call advising them of the deaths Sunday morning.

The bodies were taken to the Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where they were identified as Imad Farajallah, 17, and Qasim Salah Iteiwa, 17, both from the An-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said Sunday that soldiers fired at two men (sic) approaching the Gaza Strip's border with Israel. The army official told Ma'an that forces identified a hit, but she could not confirm that they were killed.

However, the Israeli daily Haaretz and Israeli news site Ynet reported on Saturday night that both men (sic) were killed, quoting a military spokesperson. The reports came out hours before medics were notified.

Palestinian medical sources told Ma'an on Sunday morning that they had not yet received any information from Israeli officials about the attack.

Israeli authorities usually inform Palestinian medics about such incidents through liaison officers, medical officials added.

Israeli forces are on high alert near the borders with the Gaza Strip after Palestinian resistance fighters launched over 50 mortar shells and homemade projectiles across the border on Saturday.

Ma'an's reporter said Israeli military tanks struck targets near the borders in the northern and central Gaza Strip late on Saturday night. Israeli missiles and artillery shells landed in Juhor Ad-Dik, east of the Al-Bureij refugee camp, and in agricultural fields east of Gaza City. No injuries have been reported from those incidents.

Meanwhile, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza, the An-Nasser Salah Ad-Din Brigades, said its fighters fired a Grad-style missile into the western Negev on Saturday evening.

The group said the shelling was a natural response to the ongoing Israeli crimes against Palestinians.

Livni calls for another Cast Lead

On Saturday, Israel's opposition leader Tzipi Livni said the escalation in mortar fire called for a new military campaign against the coastal enclave.

"The right way to deal with it is with force, just like Israel did during and after Operation Cast Lead," news website Ynet quoted her as telling local authority heads in the border region.

Israeli forces killed more than 1,400 Palestinians during the December 2008- January 2009 offensive, more than half of whom were women and children. Thirteen Israelis, 10 of them soldiers, were killed in the 22-day attack. (*see article following)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel would use "all necessary means to protect its citizens" in a statement from his office.

In January, Gaza's main militant factions confirmed a year-old truce after weeks of increased rocket fire and spiraling tensions along the border prompted a warning from Arab leaders that Gaza was risking a major new Israeli invasion.

AFP contributed to this story

www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=370348

...............

*B'Tselem: 773 of Palestinians
killed in Cast Lead were civilians

Israeli human rights' group collects names of Palestinians killed in IDF operation, finds
that only 330 of them were combatants. On the other hand, Institute for Counter-Terrorism
issues report that casts doubt on Palestinian casualty figures by examining demographic
distribution of those killed

Ynet
Published: 09.09.09, 09:19 / Israel News

How many Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip during Operation Cast Lead? Eight months after the operation, it seems as though the differences between the two sides' figures are only getting bigger.

A new report published Wednesday by rights group B'Tselem reveals that the IDF killed 1,387 Palestinians, 773 of whom were non-combatants. On the other hand, a report published by the Institute for Counter-Terrorism at the Interdisciplinary Center shows that at least 1,000 of the Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip were Hamas combatants or were suspected of being combatants, and were therefore marked as targets by the IDF.



According to the B'Tselem data, 773 of those killed did not take part in the hostilities, 320 of whom were minors under the age of 18 and 109 were women (above the age of 18). The rest of those killed were 330 armed combatants, 245 Palestinian policemen – most of whom were killed in aerial bombings of the police station – and 38 others whose participation in the hostilities could not be determined.

These figures stray from the official figures published by the IDF in March that rely on data collected by the Military Intelligence Directorate. According to the IDF's numbers, 1,166 Palestinians were killed during fighting, only 295 – about a quarter – of whom were unarmed civilians. The IDF report showed that 709 of those killed were involved in hostilities, more than double the figure provided by B'Tselem. The IDF reported that the participation in the hostilities of another 162 men and young boys could not be determined.

According to B'Tselem, 60 of those killed were infants and children under the age of five. Among the 320 casualties who had yet to reach the age of 18, 224 were boys and 96 were girls. The names of all those killed are listed in B'Tselem's detailed report. The oldest fatality listed is Nimer Amum, 101, from al-Bureij refugee camp. He was killed along with two others while sitting on a plot of land next to a police station that was bombed. Some 11 more elderly people above the age of 80 were killed.

The B'Tselem report sought to emphasize that "behind the dry statistics lie shocking individual stories. Whole families were killed; parents saw their children shot before their very eyes; relatives watched their loved ones bleed to death; and entire neighborhoods were obliterated."


Destroyed houses in Gaza after the operation (Photo: Reuters)

According to the authors of the B'Tselem report, "The extremely heavy civilian casualties and the massive damage to civilian property require serious introspection on the part of Israeli society.

"B'Tselem recognizes the complexity of combat in a densely populated area against armed groups that do not hesitate to use illegal means and find refuge within the civilian population. However, illegal and immoral actions by these organizations cannot legitimize such extensive harm to civilians by a state committed to the rule of law."

The report's authors asserted "The extent of civilian fatalities does not, in itself, prove that Israeli violated the laws of war.

"However, the figures must be considered within the context of the numerous testimonies given by soldiers and Palestinians during and after the operation, which raise grave concerns that Israel breached fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and caused excessive harm to civilians."

B'Tselem also noted the Israeli casualties in their report. Nine were killed by Palestinian fire, including three civilians and a security officer during rocket barrages on the south of the country. In addition, five soldiers were killed in the fighting in Gaza. Another four soldiers were killed by friendly fire.

Opposing report: No indiscriminate fire

The Institute for Counter-Terrorism at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center published a variant statistics that reinforce the figures issued by the IDF. The ICT study claims that the demographic distribution of the Palestinian casualties nullifies any claims that the IDF indiscriminately attacked targets during the operation.

The study relies on the report published in March by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza that claims that 1,434 Palestinians were killed during Operation Cast Lead. According to this data set, 235 of those killed were combatants, 239 were policemen, and 960 were civilians. Of the 960 civilians, 121 were women, 288 were minors under the age of 18, and 551 were men.

The Palestinians organization claimed that all 239 policemen were non-combatants. However, the ICT study found that many of them were indeed members of Hamas' military arm and were involved directly or indirectly in the fighting.

The study found that of the 960 civilian casualties, 518 of them could not be positively identified as being non-affiliated with a militant group. The ICT researchers claimed that analysis of the demographic distribution of the Palestinian casualties shows that the demographic profile of the 518 unaffiliated casualties is identical to the demographic profile of the combatants. In other words, most were men of fighting age.

The study asserts that if there had been random, indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations and the distribution of the casualties' demographics was likewise as random, then there would be an even demographic split, with 50% of the casualties being men and 50% of the casualties being women. However, in actuality, 78% of those killed were men and only 22% were women.

"In regards to children, the median age in Gaza is 17. Therefore, we could expect that among all the casualties, 50% of casualties would be below this age and 50% would be above this age. However, what we see in actuality is that 70% of those killed were adults," claimed the study researchers.

B'Tselem responded to the ICT report: "The gaps stem from their perception that every casualty that fits the profile of a Hamas combatant is indeed a Hamas combatant. The average age of a Hamas combatant who was killed is in fact 24, however, this does not mean that every 24-year-old man walking around Gaza is a legitimate target with blood on his hands. Many of them did not participate in the fighting. Even the IDF doesn't claim that it is permissible to target an unarmed person only because he fits a certain gender and age category and is doing something harmless like climbing on top of a roof to fix a water boiler or going out on the street to drink coffee."

Daniel Edelson contributed to this report

www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3774217,00.html

[ninathedog]

Tsunami disruption spreads
deep into Japan

by Olivia Hampton Olivia Hampton – Mon Mar 21, 9:57 am ET
AFP news agency (Agence France-Presse)

MORIOKA, Japan (AFP) – Ten days after Japan's tsunami disaster, towns far from the impact zone are still experiencing shortages that have thrown the neat, ordered lives of local residents completely out of gear.

Gas station queues stretching for several kilometres, long waits at supermarkets, empty store shelves and shuttered businesses have become a part of the landscape in post-tsunami Japan.

At the foot of the Mount Iwate volcano, the people of Morioka city -- almost 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the devastated coast -- are still trying to adjust to the sudden absence of many things they had simply taken for granted.

At a gas station on the outskirts of the city, motorists waited hours on end before finally reaching the gas pump, clutching a 2,000 yen ($25, 17 euros) daily rationing coupon in their hands. The coupon is barely enough to buy a third of a tank on an average-sized city car.

One man wasted so much gas queuing up that his car ran dry and needed several people to push it up to the station.

Kabuya Kubo said she had waited for nearly six hours to put gas in her tank. Ever since the tsunami, she has had to bike to work whenever the car runs low on fuel -- a one-hour trip, versus 15 minutes by car.

"Now, again, I realize that electricity, gas, all of that is really important," she said. "Because there's no gas, I can't go anywhere that's far away. It's difficult."

Most gas stations have been cordoned off or closed for the better part of the day due to disruptions in the supply system caused by the March 11 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that devastated Japan's northeastern coastline.

The tidal wave that intruded 10 kilometres (six miles) inland in certain areas engulfed large tracts of arable land in the agriculturally rich prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.

"There are no more meat and vegetables. I'm eating instant meals all the time," said Naohiko Seki. "I would like to regain my old life, but when I think about people who suffered from the tsunami, I tell myself I shouldn't complain."

A ramen noodle restaurant on the main shopping street downtown only offered a single type of plain fried rice for sale. There were no customers in sight at 2:00 pm and the usually busy room stood empty.

"Ever since the disaster, our suppliers haven't been able to reach us. We haven't been getting many customers recently," said cook Toshiyo Sasaki.

"Our restaurant is usually open 24/7 but now we can't stay open all the time. We have reduced working hours because we can't get the products we need."

As fresh produce grows scarcer, restaurants are serving more prepared foods and noodle- or rice-based dishes than ever before.

Convenience stores, usually open around the clock, had row after row of empty shelves, where prepared foods like the normally ubiquitous 'onigiri' rice balls, water and milk products once stood.

Popular French bakery Pompadour opened at 1:00 pm and had sold out its entire stock of bread and pastries in two hours.

Outside a shopping mall, a handful of school students held up signs about the tsunami disaster and asked customers for donations to buy food and clothes for the victims.

A group of green-clad boy and girl scouts on the main shopping street also urged passersby to donate -- and many did, even encouraging their young children to drop a few coins in the box.

Yoshii Sato said he was a "little afraid" for his very young daughter.

"It's really strange. The stores have almost no baby food and other items. It makes me uneasy and anxious. I am worried because I don't know whether or not I will be able to buy what my child needs," he said.

Still, Sato stressed that others had to cope with much worse.

"In Morioka, we are getting by okay, but toward the coast, many more people have lost their homes and are forced to suffer. We feel very sad for them."

news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110321/lf_afp/japanquakelifestyleeconomy

[ninathedog]

Israel strikes Gaza

March 21, 2011
Jewish Telegraph Agency

(JTA) -- Israeli combat planes pounded the Gaza Strip.

AFP, the French news agency, and Israel radio reported repeated strikes on the strip late Monday night.

Israel radio said that there were reports from Palestinian sources of 17 wounded, about half of them children. The army was not responding to the reports, the radio said.

The strikes came after the worst barrage of rocket attacks on southern Israel in two years, on Saturday. The armed wing of Hamas, Izzadin Kassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for most of the explosives.

Israel had responded earlier Monday with air strikes on suspected bomb smuggling tunnels; this latest attack seemed more comprehensive and sustained, according to the reports.

The attack came despite a plea from a spokesman for Hamas, the terrorist group that controls Gaza, to return to a fragile truce.

www.jta.org/news/article/2011/03/21/3086502/israel-strikes-gaza1

[ninathedog]

Israeli jets strike Gaza after
Hamas offer

March 22, 2011 - 9:39AM (March 21, 2011 - 6:39 PM Eastern U.S. time)
Sydney Morning Herald
AFP

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, March 21 AFP - Israeli jets have carried out at least five air strikes against the Gaza Strip in which 17 people were wounded, Palestinian emergency workers said.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment.

The attacks came after Hamas militants in Gaza offered to stop cross-border fire into Israel if the Israelis halted attacks on Gaza.

The group's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, which lobbed about 50 mortar rounds into Israel on Saturday, made the offer in a statement released after Israeli aircraft raided the enclave again on Monday evening.

It said Saturday's barrage had been in response to an Israeli strike last week which killed two of its members, but that it was ready to call an end to the tit-for-tat violence if Israel also did so.

"If the enemy stops the escalation and aggression against our people we will implement the Palestinian national agreement," the statement said, referring to a truce reaffirmed by the main militant factions in January.

Israeli military and government officials declined to comment on the statement, but the Jewish state's often-stated standing policy is to "respond forcefully" to every Palestinian attack.

In a later statement, Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu said the movement's Gaza government was committed to preserving the informal truce, with the backing of other militant groups.

"The government affirms that there is consensus among the factions regarding the security situation in the strip," he said in a statement.

Shortly before the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades offer, Israeli warplanes raided the Gaza Strip, slightly wounding one man, local witnesses and medical officials said.

Witnesses said the target of the raid was a car repair workshop east of Gaza City, owned by the powerful Doghmush clan which has links to Islamic militants.

The Israeli military, however, said its aircraft hit what a spokeswoman described as "a terrorist tunnel" intended to launch attacks under the Gaza border fence into Israel.

Also on Monday, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon issued a death threat against Hamas leaders.

"If Hamas decides to escalate, we will put an end to it ... We have several actions before putting ground forces in Gaza, including direct threats against Hamas leaders," Ayalon told public radio.

A rocket fired from Gaza overnight on Sunday exploded in southern Israel, causing neither casualties nor damage, several hours after another rocket exploded harmlessly in the town of Ashkelon.

After Saturday's mortar fire Israel pounded Gaza, wounding at least five Palestinians and cutting power supplies.

The mortar attacks, the fiercest since Israel carried out a 22-day offensive codenamed Operation Cast Lead against Gaza rocket fire in December 2008 and January 2009, wounded two Israelis and caused minor damage.

In January this year, Gaza's main militant factions confirmed a year-old truce after weeks of increased rocket fire and spiralling tensions along the border prompted a warning from Arab leaders that Gaza risked a major new Israeli invasion.

On Saturday Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni called for just that in response to the mortar barrage.

"The right way to deal with it is with force, just like Israel did during and after Operation Cast Lead," news website Ynet quoted her as telling local authority heads in the border region.

© 2011 AFP

news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/israeli-jets-strike-gaza-after-hamas-offer-20110322-1c49v.html

[ninathedog]

Gaza TV News
‎***** BREAKING NEWS *****

In the past hour, Israel has launched several airstrikes on Gaza. So far, there are reports of 20 people injured, including several children. Various targets have been shelled by F16 air strikes. More news as it comes in.

(Gaza TV News via Facebook)

[ninathedog]

Israeli airstrikes injure 17 Palestinians

Monday Mar 21, 201111:18 PM GMT
Press TV


A destroyed building after an Israeli strike in Gaza City on March 21, 2011

The strikes occurred late on Monday night in the east of Gaza City.

Witnesses said the target of the raid was a car repair workshop, AFP reported.

Earlier on Monday, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon issued a death threat against Hamas leaders.

Israel regularly carries out attacks on Gaza, killing and injuring Palestinians. Tel Aviv launched a deadly war on the strip at the turn of 2009.

More than 1,400 Palestinians were killed during the three-week Israeli land, sea and air offensive in the impoverished coastal enclave. The offensive also inflicted $1.6 billion damage to the Gazan economy.

Some 1.5 million people in the Gaza Strip are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.

Poverty and unemployment rates stand at approximately 80 percent and 60 percent in the Gaza Strip respectively, reports say.

AS/MGH

www.presstv.ir/detail/171113.html

[ninathedog]

France calls for restraint on both sides in Gaza

PARIS, March 22 | Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:55am EDT

PARIS, March 22 (Reuters) - France said on Tuesday it was concerned about an escalation in violence in the Gaza Strip this week and called on both sides to show restraint. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Christine Fages told a news briefing France was worried by events on Monday where militants shot mortars and rockets at the Jewish state and Israel launched five air strikes. (Reporting by Daniel Flynn; Writing by Catherine Bremer, editing by Tim Pearce)

www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/22/israel-gaza-france-idUSPISMEE7AO20110322

[ninathedog]

Energy Resources
ICRC sounds alarm over
water in Gaza

Published: March. 22, 2011 at 9:17 AM

GAZA, March 22 (UPI) -- Water and sanitation problems in Gaza are compounded by the fact that building materials are restricted, the ICRC warned.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said that every day, hundreds of gallons of wastewater are dumped into local waterways that trickle through urban areas in Gaza.

Failing wastewater treatment networks in the region increase the risk of waterborne parasites that threaten the health of the local community.

The ICRC said Israeli restrictions on the import of construction materials were eased last year, though spare parts and raw materials are at a premium.


A Palestinian worker sprays water on blocks of cement at a factory in
Gaza City on November 9, 2009. Many cement factories take rubble from
destroyed houses and pulverize it in order to make new cement blocks.
Due to the Israeli blockade, cement is scarce in Gaza and shipments
that come from Egypt through the tunnels are very expensive.
UPI/Ismael Mohamad

"It's a great challenge to carry out construction projects in the Gaza Strip, as building materials cannot be imported," said Marco Albertini, an ICRC engineer working in the area, in a statement.

The Red Cross called on governments and other interested parties to make sure those living in conflict zones like Gaza have access to clean water and basic sanitation.

"The water and sanitation infrastructure in Gaza is in dire need of a comprehensive upgrade," added Albertini.





Palestinians fill containers at a water purification station in southern
Gaza on October 27, 2009. Human rights group Amnesty International
says in a report issued today that Palestinians are denied 'the right to access
adequate water' by Israel, and the average Israeli daily water consumption in
Israel reaches 300 liters, while Palestinians get an average of 70 liters.*
UPI/Ismael Mohamad

*Note that the statistic cited appears to reflect water usage for ALL Palestinians and
does not break the figure down between those People living in the West Bank and those
People living in the Gaza Strip.



A Palestinian girl drinks from the water tap near her house which was
destroyed during Israel's 22 day offensive, in Gaza, on July 2, 2009.
(UPI Photo/Ismael Mohamad)

www.upi.com/Science_News/Resource-Wars/2011/03/22/ICRC-sounds-alarm-over-water-in-Gaza/UPI-23421300799849/

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[ninathedog]

Turkey group plans new Gaza flotilla with
at least 15 ships

IHH, left-wing European groups plan to send flotilla this May,
one year afteranother IHH flotilla resulted in bloodshed that
prompted widespread international condemnation of Israel.

By Barak Ravid
Published 01:10 22.03.11 Latest update 01:10 22.03.11
Haaretz.com

Israel will launch a public campaign on Tuesday against a plan by the Turkish organization IHH and several left-wing European groups to send a flotilla to the Gaza Strip this May, a year after another IHH flotilla resulted in bloodshed that prompted widespread international condemnation of Israel.

IHH activists aboard that flotilla attacked Israeli soldiers who tried to intercept it with axes, knives and iron bars. (please see photo of "weapons" below) Nine Turks (EIGHT TURKS AND ONE TURKISH AMERICAN -- please see below.) were killed.

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon will summon foreign ambassadors to the ministry today to seek their help in stopping this year's flotilla, which is slated to contain at least 15 ships. The sailing date has not yet been finalized, but the ministry expects it to be sometime between May 15, when the Palestinians commemorate the "Nakba" ("catastrophe" ) of Israel's establishment, and May 31, the anniversary of last year's deadly interception.

Thirty organizers from 15 countries met in Madrid about six weeks ago to discuss their plans, which have so far been kept under wraps for "security reasons." They also asked the governments of some of the countries whose nationals plan to be aboard the flotilla to guarantee their safety should Israel try to stop the ships.

Over the last two months, the Foreign Ministry has asked several governments, including those of Spain, Britain, Ireland and Sweden, to publish travel advisories warning their citizens against sailing to Gaza. Britain and Ireland have in fact done so.

When the president of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, visited Israel about 10 days ago, the flotilla was a key topic of discussion. Christofias stressed that the order he issued a year ago banning ships from sailing to Gaza from Cypriot ports remains in force.

The ministry is far from sure the flotilla can be stopped by diplomatic means, but is determined to try.

www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/turkey-group-plans-new-gaza-flotilla-with-at-least-15-ships-1.350994

Jun 2, 2010 18:09:55 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

"Our soldiers had to defend themselves, defend their lives or they would have been killed," Netanyahu said.
-- the-goldenthread.proboards.com/in....3&page=22#11593 --


This photo provided by the Israeli Defense Forces shows items, including knives, metal tools, rods, chains, and computer discs said to have been found on a flotilla of boats headed to the Gaza Strip, laid out after the boats were intercepted and brought to the port of Ashdod, Israel on May 31. Photo credit: Christian Science Monitor

Sept 23, 2010 1:37:23 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

UN experts:
Israel flotilla raid broke int'l law

(AP) – 2 hours ago

GENEVA — A group of U.N.-appointed experts says Israeli forces violated international law "including international humanitarian and human rights law" during and after their raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May.

The U.N. Human Rights Council's fact-finding mission says Israel's naval blockade of the Palestinian territory was "unlawful" because a humanitarian crisis there at the time.

The three-member panel says Israel's military response to the flotilla was "disproportionate" and "betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality."

Eight Turkish activists and one Turkish-American were killed in the raid.

Israel says the soldiers acted in self-defense. The country's mission to the U.N. in Geneva couldn't immediately be reached for comment late Wednesday.

U.N. report
56 pages, click link to download pdf
bit.ly/FlotillaReport

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hzXhucw75v5mApVvm4b6QZgGSCBQD9ID59LO0

(many thanks to Gaza TV News)

Jun 3, 2010 23:50:04 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

Meet the 19-Year-Old American
Killed in the Flotilla Attack

Posted by paulwoodward at 8:53 am
June 3, 2010

This post originally appeared on War in Context.

For several days, Israel has been able to contain some of the fallout from the flotilla massacre by withholding information about the dead and injured. The object of this exercise has clearly been to slow the flow of information in the hope that by the time the most d**ning facts become known, the international media’s attention will have turned elsewhere.

But the dead now have names and faces and one turns out to be a nineteen-year-old American: Furkan Dogan.



Dogan is alleged to have been shot with five bullets, four in the head.

Does the Obama administration intend to investigate the circumstances in which one of its citizens was killed? Protecting the lives of Americans is after all the most fundamental responsibility of our government.

Dogan’s death was presumably instant, but according to Al Jazeera’s Jamal Elshayyal there were others on board the Mavi Marmara who died because Israeli soldiers refused to treat their injuries.

“After the shooting and the first deaths, people put up white flags and signs in English and Hebrew. An Isreali [on the ship] asked the soldiers to take away the injured, but they did not and the injured died on the ship.”

Crimes have been committed and since the suspects all acted under the direction of the Israeli government and its defense forces and took place on international waters outside Israel’s area of legal jurisdiction, “a prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards” — a demand made by the UN Security Council with the support of the Obama administration — cannot be conducted by the Israeli government or a commission appointed by them. An investigation conforming to international standards must also be an international inquiry.

blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/06/03/meet-the-19-year-old-american-killed-in-the-flotilla-attack/

(many thanks to Tom V)

Jun 10, 2010 1:01:30 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

VERY UPSETTING, CAUTION, CAUTION.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlElXOJV4CA

sami69l3 — June 09, 2010 — Indédit: l'exécution de Furkan a bord de la Flottille de la liberté

Category: News & Politics
Tags: Algérie Egypte israel gaza Flottille de la liberté Freedom Flotilla

(thanks Mary W)

EDIT>>

..............
..............
..............

Israel's earlier failed PR campaign in all it's lying glory:

Jun 17, 2010 20:35:43 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

Jun 17, 2010 19:51:46 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

Faked Israeli Flotilla videos provide opening to
expose Israeli Espionage here

By Jim W. Dean for Veterans Today
June 16, 2010 posted by Gordon Duff

Dear Friends, The Zionists shot themselves in both feet with this rushed spin job to deflect attention on their slaughter of the Gaza Flotilla activists. We can thank the retired Intel folks for the frame analysis exposing the fraud on the Veterans Today link above. Fortunately more and more retired Intel and security people are getting into the life or death struggle defending the country from our ‘domestic enemies’.

These Photo shopped videos were done so poorly as to be almost comical if they were not done to cover up murders. You will have to watch the video several times to really visually catch their mistakes. Don’t be afraid to use the pause button to study the images.

www.veteranstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/ScreenHunter_16-Jun.-16-11.14.gif

[/img]

The ending scenes on the fantail immediately struck me as a studio shoot. The lighting was way to bright for a ship in that situation. The actors…well…they did a really poor job. In the real videos you see more confusion…the clothes are not right. If was a completely staged event, even down to the tiny slingshot one guy raises up so it can be noticed. Also, the camera is stationary (on a tripod)…a huge mistake.

(video included in this article is posted below)

That the radical Zionists would lie, cheat or steal to gain some benefit for themselves is not even a news event. Our own American declassified intelligence lays this all out in spades. The best one book read on it is Steven Green’s Taking Sides, if you can find a used one online.

The real news here is how such an obvious fraud was pipelined into American mass media. Any experienced news video editor would have spotted the obvious fraud on these tapes. But they pushed it right out onto unsuspecting Americans who wrongly think that mass media would not pedal something they know to be totally bogus. And how wrong they are.

But it gets worse. Our Intel and security agencies always do frame by frame analysis of important video material like this. They also had to have spotted this…yet they did not warn the American people that this was a fraud. Why not?

The answer is that Israel espionage has penetrated American government, media, politics, and even our security institutions to the point that the Zios have no fear of those responsible for our national security protecting us from the Israeli 5th column operating here. They are protected by powerful interests.

The military, veteran and intelligence communities are really the only American institutions who can take the lead on tearing the Israeli espionage networks out by the roots. All the other institutions are already compromised. And they will fight like hell as they know that the 5th column could not have been as effective as they have been without more than a few disloyal Americans helping them, many who are well known names. They will do anything to protect themselves from exposure…anything…and they have. The USS Liberty is just one example, where dead and wounded servicemen were literally abandoned on the battlefield so as to not reveal to the American public that they were murdered by the Israelis.

You might remember that the last whistleblower reform legislation was slapped down a while back. The Congresscritters know what a threat that is. So do the Israelis. We have loyal Intel people who know that the Israelis have been given key Homeland Security contracts that actually have the American taxpayer funding their espionage operations. Oh yes, the Israelis make us pay for it…smart folks they.

Michael Chertoff flew to Israel a few years back to put on a ‘fast track’ seminar for Israeli security companies (staffed by Mussed and military Intel people) to make sure they can (get) the key contracts that they wanted, like airport security and communications plums. This is a huge national scandal, and one that a Congressional investigation would not put a dent into as those folks have sold us out to the Israelis in return for political support. John McCain is one of the worst examples, but he has lots of company.

I listened to General Russel Honore give a great Memorial Day speech in Atlanta recently. It was short and sweet in his normal style.
“We were born by accident, based on where our parents were. To live free is a privilege. But to die free is an obligation that we leave to each generation.”

Folks, If we don’t join hands and root out this the Israeli 5th column here we will be breaking the chain, and it is getting late in the day. Their numbers are small, so they have put the fix it at the top, political espionage. But we have the numbers to beat them. They have just not been brought to bear due to their divide and conquer, smoke and mirrors tactics. Our political establishment is more afraid of the Israel Lobby than they are of us. We must reverse that situation or we will have betrayed the next generation.

So let’s roll up our sleeves, and get on with the work. First up is going to go see your Congresscritters with a small group of vets/Intel people and go through this video with them step by step, and demand to know why our people did nothing to expose the fraud, including Obama possibly even having been sand bagged on it. Did Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod know? Did Hillary, Defense and the CIA? Why no official exposure by those sworn to protect us. And ask them what they have done to combat Israeli espionage here? You will enjoy the look on their faces. I promise you that.

Jim Dean
Heritage TV…Atlanta
Assoc. for Intelligence Officers

www.veteranstoday.com/2010/06/16/jim-w-dean-faked-israeli-flotilla-videos-provide-opening-to-expose-israeli-expionage-here/

FAKE VIDEOS OF ISRAEL ABOUT THE
FREEDOM FLOTILLA ATTACK EXPOSED (MUST SEE!!!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW2R4Iw5afc

cdr23d1 — June 12, 2010 — ISRAELI PIRATES STEAL $3 MILLION FROM GAZA FLOTILLA AND USED CREDIT CARDS TO BUY ALCOHOL
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPd79HqTIPg

Read Gordon Deff's articles about these fake videos:
www.veteranstoday.com/2010/06/14/gordon-duff-dancing-israeli-film-studios-present-faked-attack-videos/
www.veteranstoday.com/2010/06/14/gordon-duff-fox-in-the-henhouse-can-we-trust-israeli-security-companies/
www.veteranstoday.com/2010/06/16/jim-w-dean-faked-israeli-flotilla-videos-provide-opening-to-expose-israeli-expionage-here/

Israeli Soldiers Murdering Peace Activist on The Freedom Flotilla
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYl0sRYKIG8

Israelis filmed their own weapons as showing like they are ours and threw our cameras into the sea
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IGDYylHZSw

Kenneth Nichols O'Keefe tells about what Israelis did
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMWIsjV2WyE

How Israel Deceives The World: The Lies About Hamas Rockets, Fake Adverts
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF3-YqZkoMs
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRC1Fvaimgw

Mossad did 9/11
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXoLqOrGgAM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgC0jikRlgM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GemBPvSsbG4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZhYHvP9wxc

Joe Biden: "I am a zionist"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8FClxsLDVg

Category: Film & Animation
Tags: cdr23d1 Palestine Israel Rachel Corrie gaza rights flotilla boats mass destruction jews ghandi princess diana obama anti war settlers aipac agenda crimes criminals terror cia israel settlements occupation middle east new world order massacre nuclear bomb demonstrations Gaza turkish children Occupied Palestinian Territories zionist iran mossad hostage pirates Ireland george galloway london protest israeli embassy kick wounded activists hamas gun fake videos truth camera furkan murderer exposed
[/quote]



ANOTHER “DANCING ISRAELI” FILM PRODUCTION
..SEE PEOPLE WALK THROUGH STEEL LIKE GHOSTS

By Gordon Duff STAFF WRITER/Senior Editor
June 14, 2010 posted by Gordon Duff

BUSTED! I didn’t believe they would be that stupid. You could see the cursor moving in the picture. I saw a man handed a metal bar. Then he walked through, just like a ghost, a solid steel protrusion from the deck, the size of an ashcan. This thing would have stopped a truck but the Fox News “fighters” on the Mavi Marmara were like ghosts. In fact, the “steel bar thugs” were exactly that, or more appropriately, cartoons.

They passed through walls, stood when others cowered and, like the cartoon characters they were, waved their steel bars in the air threateningly, all a fabrication of the IDF bungler squad, made for Likudist Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News. Like a scene out of the movie, Rising Sun with Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes, Israel is “busted” for clumsy attempts to insert scarry cartoon characters into videos counterfeited to support their Gaza blockade. Was this the same Israeli film group arrested on 9/11, the group who spent hours with cameras pointing at the World Trade Center waiting for the attack?

"GHOST" WALKING THROUGH SOLID STEEL

If there was ever proof to convict at a war crimes tribunal, the Israeli videos played on Fox News are it. The “bunglers,” I can’t use that word enough, in Israel couldn’t have done a worse job. This is the third major public relations hit for Israel this week after Likudist Rupert Murdoch, owner of the London Times ran stories about Saudi cooperation with Israel against Iran, debunked, and a follow-up piece trying to tie Pakistan’s ISI to the Taliban, another debunked failure. It isn’t just that the stories were false, but that they were incompetently written showing no familarity with commonly known background. What we are smelling is panic among the Israeli extremists who are suffering a major backlash around the world and increasing dissent in their own country.

THE MOST ENLIGHTENING TEN MINUTES OF
YOUR EDUCATION IN “REAL” VERSUS MYTH

Were it not for so many killed and wounded with hundreds kidnapped and tortured, this would qualify as a comedy reel for television. It would be continually shown, running forward, backward, slow motion, the whole thing ought to be a big joke. Israel’s use of “pre- Star Wars” special effects falls well short of the film Rising Sun with Wesley Snipes and Sean Connery, the first exposure of how “ghosts” can be put into films and how they can be discovered.

Where do we start? For every real scene there is a cutaway or an added special effect. This may be the most enlightening 10 minutes you will ever see. The next time you turn on your television and see a frightening Muslim terrorist, know that the murderers who produced this insult to the world also are responsible for the TV shows you allow your children to see.

It took me some time to understand why Jeff Gates calls Israel a “Criminal State.”

FILM ANALYIS SHOWING “GHOST FIGHTERS” PHOTOSHOPPED IN

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW2R4Iw5afc
YouTube - Veterans Today -

www.veteranstoday.com/2010/06/14/gordon-duff-dancing-israeli-film-studios-present-faked-attack-videos/

.......

Jun 4, 2010 21:20:57 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

Fake IDF video emerges of flotilla passengers about to
take on the might of the Israeli Navy

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlE7kmSCf9I

For being on the sea, this "boat" surely is stable!
Looks like a stage set with actors, doesn't it?

Mossad Motto:
'By Way of Deception, thou shalt do War'

reviewing the most obvious, aside from the time stamp versus the finger pointing:
at 15 seconds -- man walking left passes through metal post
at 25 seconds -- cursor is clearly visible on the middle left hand side for several seconds!! Please view the video large as this will then be very obvious.

These and more anomalies are cited here:

FAKE VIDEOS OF ISRAEL ABOUT THE
FREEDOM FLOTILLA ATTACK EXPOSED (MUST SEE!!!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW2R4Iw5afc
[/quote]

[ninathedog]

Ex-President of Israel (Moshe Katsav)
Sentenced to Prison for Rape

By ISABEL KERSHNER
Published: March 22, 2011
The New York Times

JERUSALEM — An Israeli court sentenced Moshe Katsav, the country’s former president, to seven years in prison for rape on Tuesday. The sentencing is the latest stage in a sordid drama that Israel’s leaders point to as proof of the principle of equality before the law, but one that has also seen the prestige of Israel’s highest office brought to a historic low.


Photo source: www.news.com.au/world/former-israeli-president-moshe-katsav-convicted-of-rape/story-e6frfkyi-1225979158366

Mr. Katsav, who has consistently maintained his innocence, burst into tears upon hearing the sentence, according to reports from inside the Tel Aviv courtroom, and shouted at the judges that they had made a mistake, crying out: “It is a lie! The girls know it is a lie!"

Mr. Katsav, 65, was convicted in December of two counts of forcible rape, after a four-year spectacle that began with accusations of sexual offenses against Mr. Katsav while he was still the head of state. He was convicted of raping an employee — identified only by her first initial, A. — on two occasions while he was minister of tourism in 1998. The court also convicted him of sexually abusing and harassing another complainant and of harassing a third while he was president — a distinguished, if mostly ceremonial, position that Mr. Katsav held from 2000 to 2007.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the sentencing that this was a “sad day” for Israel, “but also one of deep appreciation and pride in the Israeli justice system.”

He added: “The court ruled in a clear and precise way a simple principle. This principle is equality before the law. No one is above the law, even a president or a senior figure, everyone is subordinate to the law.”

Mr. Netanyahu also pointed to the ruling as upholding equality between men and women. “Every woman has a right over her body, the right for respect and freedom, and no one has the right to take these things from her,” he said.

Mr. Katsav is expected to begin his sentence in early May, after the Passover holiday, though there is a possibility that he may appeal.

His lawyer, Zion Amir, told Israel Radio, “Regarding the sentence, I have no doubt that this was not the last word.”

Mr. Amir said that he was not surprised by the sentence in light of the “harsh” verdict against Mr. Katsav.

Rape verdicts usually carry a minimum sentence of 4 years and a maximum of 16 in Israel. The judges said in their ruling that the fact that Mr. Katsav had been president was no reason to lighten the sentence. On the contrary, they said, he had abused his authority and standing in order to carry out his crimes.

No television cameras or radio microphones were allowed in the courtroom during the proceedings and most of the trial took place behind closed doors.

Mr. Katsav had contended that the rape accusation was a plot by the former Tourism Ministry employee, who he said was seeking revenge after she was fired. But the judges who convicted him cited evidence that contradicted Mr. Katsav’s testimony, including telephone call logs and testimony from other witnesses that corroborated that of the victims. The judges said they found the rape victim’s testimony “completely credible” and Mr. Katsav’s “false.”

The case has riveted Israel for years. Mr. Katsav resigned from the presidency in disgrace in 2007, two weeks before the end of his seven-year term, to a chorus of public criticism over a deal he had reached with state prosecutors.

According to its terms, the rape charges against him were to be dropped in exchange for an admission of guilt for lesser offenses. Mr. Katsav was to serve no jail time, but would receive a one-year suspended sentence, and he agreed to pay compensation to two women.

In a dramatic courtroom twist in April 2008, Mr. Katsav backed out of the plea agreement, saying that he wished to fight for his innocence in court.

www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/world/middleeast/23katsav.html?_r=1&ref=moshekatsav

[emeraldsun]

Mar 22, 2011 20:37:18 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

Ex-President of Israel (Moshe Katsav)
Sentenced to Prison for Rape

By ISABEL KERSHNER
Published: March 22, 2011
The New York Times

JERUSALEM — An Israeli court sentenced Moshe Katsav, the country’s former president, to seven years in prison for rape on Tuesday. The sentencing is the latest stage in a sordid drama that Israel’s leaders point to as proof of the principle of equality before the law, but one that has also seen the prestige of Israel’s highest office brought to a historic low.


Photo source: www.news.com.au/world/former-israeli-president-moshe-katsav-convicted-of-rape/story-e6frfkyi-1225979158366

Mr. Katsav, who has consistently maintained his innocence, burst into tears upon hearing the sentence, according to reports from inside the Tel Aviv courtroom, and shouted at the judges that they had made a mistake, crying out: “It is a lie! The girls know it is a lie!"

Mr. Katsav, 65, was convicted in December of two counts of forcible rape, after a four-year spectacle that began with accusations of sexual offenses against Mr. Katsav while he was still the head of state. He was convicted of raping an employee — identified only by her first initial, A. — on two occasions while he was minister of tourism in 1998. The court also convicted him of sexually abusing and harassing another complainant and of harassing a third while he was president — a distinguished, if mostly ceremonial, position that Mr. Katsav held from 2000 to 2007.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the sentencing that this was a “sad day” for Israel, “but also one of deep appreciation and pride in the Israeli justice system.”

He added: “The court ruled in a clear and precise way a simple principle. This principle is equality before the law. No one is above the law, even a president or a senior figure, everyone is subordinate to the law.”

Mr. Netanyahu also pointed to the ruling as upholding equality between men and women. “Every woman has a right over her body, the right for respect and freedom, and no one has the right to take these things from her,” he said.

Mr. Katsav is expected to begin his sentence in early May, after the Passover holiday, though there is a possibility that he may appeal.

His lawyer, Zion Amir, told Israel Radio, “Regarding the sentence, I have no doubt that this was not the last word.”

Mr. Amir said that he was not surprised by the sentence in light of the “harsh” verdict against Mr. Katsav.

Rape verdicts usually carry a minimum sentence of 4 years and a maximum of 16 in Israel. The judges said in their ruling that the fact that Mr. Katsav had been president was no reason to lighten the sentence. On the contrary, they said, he had abused his authority and standing in order to carry out his crimes.

No television cameras or radio microphones were allowed in the courtroom during the proceedings and most of the trial took place behind closed doors.

Mr. Katsav had contended that the rape accusation was a plot by the former Tourism Ministry employee, who he said was seeking revenge after she was fired. But the judges who convicted him cited evidence that contradicted Mr. Katsav’s testimony, including telephone call logs and testimony from other witnesses that corroborated that of the victims. The judges said they found the rape victim’s testimony “completely credible” and Mr. Katsav’s “false.”

The case has riveted Israel for years. Mr. Katsav resigned from the presidency in disgrace in 2007, two weeks before the end of his seven-year term, to a chorus of public criticism over a deal he had reached with state prosecutors.

According to its terms, the rape charges against him were to be dropped in exchange for an admission of guilt for lesser offenses. Mr. Katsav was to serve no jail time, but would receive a one-year suspended sentence, and he agreed to pay compensation to two women.

In a dramatic courtroom twist in April 2008, Mr. Katsav backed out of the plea agreement, saying that he wished to fight for his innocence in court.

www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/world/middleeast/23katsav.html?_r=1&ref=moshekatsav

Thank You for posting this Jen. I had read this earlier and was going to post myself.

The raping and molestation of women and children must be stopped! Bringing those individuals to swift justice.

Allowing for a change of heart and mind of the people regarding sexual assault.

emeraldsun

[ninathedog]

Children die in Israeli
attack on Gaza, say doctors

22 March 2011 Last updated at 12:09 ET
BBC.com

Four Palestinian family members have died in Gaza, doctors say, in an apparent Israeli artillery strike.

Locals said four Israeli tank shells hit a home east of Gaza City; doctors said three children were killed.

The Israeli military said in a statement: "Regrettably non-combatants were hurt, this is because Hamas attacks from civilian areas."

Palestinian militants on Saturday fired a barrage of rockets over the frontier, prompting Israeli retaliation.

The militants launched more mortars against Israeli troops on Tuesday, the Israeli military said.

The latest deaths came a day after Palestinian doctors said at least 17 people were injured in Israeli air strikes in Gaza.

The BBC's Jon Donnison in Gaza City says the exchanges are among the most serious since Israel's major offensive between December 2008 and January 2009.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12822493

......

Five Gazans killed by Israeli fire:
medics

AFP March 22, 2011
africasia.com

The killings follow days of rising cross-border violence

Five Palestinians, most of them minors, were killed on Tuesday when Israeli artillery fired on a house in Gaza City, an emergency services spokesman said.

"At least five people died when Israel opened fire on young people who were playing football in Shejaiya" near the Israeli border, Adham Abu Selmiya told AFP, saying "most of them were children."

The ages of the victims were not immediately clear.

The army had no immediate comment on the shooting, which occurred shortly after four Qassam rockets were fired into southern Israel and which was the third such attack on Shejaiya on Tuesday.

"Four rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza, three to the north and one in the south," an Israeli military spokeswoman said. They caused no damage or injuries.

The killings follow days of rising cross-border violence, which has ramped up tensions between Israel and Gaza's Islamist Hamas rulers and once again raised fears of a large-scale Israeli military invasion to stamp out rocket fire.

www.africasia.com/services/news_mideast/article.php?ID=CNG.ca4ef3740984bd0adb97605d282ed0ca.fa1


...........


IDF: Condolences for
fire at innocent bystanders

Published: 03.22.11, 17:31 / Israel News
Ynetnews.com

The IDF opened fire in the Gaza Strip Tuesday killing four family members and wounding others after days of rocket fire toward Israel. An IDF official offered condolences for the incident and began investigation, stressing that the IDF is not interested in escalating the situation.

An Hamas official said in response: "Israel won't feel secure as long at the Palestinian people don't feel secure." (Yoav Zitun and Elior Levy)

www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4046214,00.html

.......

condolence |kənˈdōləns|
noun (usu. condolences)
an expression of sympathy, esp. on the occasion of a death

THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS AN APOLOGY.

...........

Israel attacks Gaza

From: Washington Report on Middle East Affairs <[e-mail]>

Washington Report
1902 18th St NW • Washington, DC 20009 | [phone] • Fax: [phone]

ACTION ALERT
March 22, 2011
Contact: [e-mail]

As the World Looks Elsewhere,
Israel Attacks Gaza

Last night Israel launched airstrikes on six targets in Gaza, wounding at least 19 people, including seven children and two women. According to Washington Report Gaza correspondent Mohammed Omer, the Israeli army was calling families in Khan Younis telling them to flee their homes and tanks and bulldozers were gathering around Zaytoun, east of Gaza City.


photo source: xinhuanet.com

Is Israel preparing “Operation Cast Lead Two” while the world’s attention is diverted elsewhere? Will it yet again use American weapons for illegal acts of aggression, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act? Will more innocent civilians be killed and wounded?

Take action now: Call the White House, State Department and your elected representatives to
demand that Israel not attack Gaza and that the U.S. end its unconditional support of Israel.

White House comment line: [phone]

State Department public information line: [phone]

Any Senator: [phone]

Any Representative [phone]

wrmea.org/component/content/article/233-action-alerts/10475-israel-attacks-gaza.html

[ninathedog]

Mar 22, 2011 20:59:14 GMT 4 @emeraldsun said:

Mar 22, 2011 20:37:18 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

Ex-President of Israel (Moshe Katsav)
Sentenced to Prison for Rape
>>edited for length

www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/world/middleeast/23katsav.html?_r=1&ref=moshekatsav

Thank You for posting this Jen. I had read this earlier and was going to post myself.

The raping and molestation of women and children must be stopped! Bringing those individuals to swift justice.

Allowing for a change of heart and mind of the people regarding sexual assault.

emeraldsun

Thanks for your thoughts, EmeraldSun
Please always post! I love it when you and everyone post
post post post post post post post!
love!
Jen.

[ninathedog]

5 dead, others injured as
Israel shells Gaza

Ma'an News Agency
Published today (updated) 22/03/2011 20:05

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- A child, teenager and three adults were killed and others injured by Israeli artillery fire which hit a home east of Gaza City on Tuesday afternoon, the second shelling and third hit of the day.

Earlier, two were injured in the same area in separate incidents involving artillery fire and a drone strike.

An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed the involvement of civilians, in a strike she said was directed toward militants.

Medics collected bodies from a home on An-Nazzaz Street in the eastern part of the Ash-Shaja’iya neighborhood in Gaza City.

Adham Abu Salmiya, spokesman of the higher committee of ambulance and emergency services, said members of the Al-Hilu family were playing football outside of their home when the shell hit.

Eyewitnesses said ambulances took the injured to Ash-Shifa hospital in Gaza city.

Medics identified the dead as:

Muhammad Jihad Al-Hilu, 11
Yasser Ahed Al-Hilu, 16
Muhammad Saber Harara, 20
Yasser Hamer Al-Hilu, 50

A fifth remains unidentified.

After 3 p.m., the National Resistance Brigades said fighters fired two projectiles toward "Israeli settlements north of the Gaza Strip," and said the move was in response to "Israeli air raids on Gaza."

A statement from the group said "resistance is the only way to gain our national rights."

Israel's military spokeswoman said an investigation was underway into the deaths of an unknown number of civilians. She said troops fired "directly toward the launch site" where hours earlier "four military-use projectiles were fired" toward Israel.

The army official said "uninvolved civilians were injured," but blamed Hamas for operating "within a civilian population."

She added that the army "does not seek an escalation with this act."

It was the third Israeli strike of the day.

Shortly before 10 a.m. artillery fire injured one man in the Ash-Shuja'iyya neighborhood, just after witnesses reported Israeli vehicles penetrating the Gaza Strip in the area.

The injured man was identified as a 21-year-old Gaza resident. Medics did not say if he was a civilian or member of resistance factions which have recently been engaged in ramped-up activity near the border against Israeli forces operating there.

In a second incident that took place before noon, a man was critically injured by a drone strike in the same area.

An Israeli military statement said the fire was aimed at a group "of terrorists preparing to launch an anti-tank missile at an adjacent force, and thwarted the attempt by firing towards it, confirming a hit."

The statement said the Israeli military would "respond with determination to any firing or other terrorist activities emanating from the Gaza Strip, and will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. The IDF warns Hamas not to continue its aggression."

Shortly before midnight the day before, a series of Israeli air strikes injured 18, including women and children.


One of the injured in Tuesday's strike




A Palestinian man cries at the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City near the covered
body of a relative killed in an Israeli military strike. Eight Gazans,
among them children, were killed on Tuesday by Israeli fire as tensions
between militants and Israel soared after days of rocket attacks and air raids.
[AFP/Mohammed Abed]

www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=371286

........

video of the dead 11-year old child named Muhammad Jihad Al-Hilu
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJDk-AcTwn8
EXTREMELY GRAPHIC, EXTREMELY GRAPHIC
can not emphasize this enough, CAUTION.

.........













from the photo album of Mohammed Q., Gaza Strip

(many thanks to Tom V)