Official: Blackout hits 70% of Gaza
Power outage widened in the Gaza Strip after overload damaged some of the electricity networks that directly provide the territory with power from Israel, a Palestinian official said Monday. "The stopping of the power plant and the damage in the power lines left 70 percent of Gaza Strip powerless," said Kanaan Obaid, deputy director of the Palestinian Power Authority.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/17/content_10372698.htm

Israeli Soldiers kidnap children in east Jerusalem

Palestinian sources reported on Sunday that Israeli soldiers and policemen kidnapped 10 Palestinian children in Al Bustan neighborhood, near the Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, and took them to an unknown destination.
http://www.imemc.org/article/57691

Israeli forces invade the village of Jayyous to block demonstrators from protesting the re-routing of the Apartheid Wall
On Sunday 16th November, approximately 100 Palestinians, Israeli and international activists in the village of Jayyous were stopped in their attempt to demonstrate against the new plans to re-route the Apartheid Wall by Israeli army forces who invaded the village and blocked the streets. Israeli military Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) were patrolling the streets of the village throughout the morning, with soldiers harassing pedestrians, claiming the village was a closed military zone.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2008/11/16/israeli-forces-invade-the-village-of-jayyous-to-block-demonstrators-from-protesting-the-re-routing-of-the-apartheid-wall/

Abbas forces arrest Hamas leader shortly after IOA released him
The PA security forces in the West Bank have raided and ransacked the house of Hamas's prominent political leader Adnan Asfour in Nablus city Sunday evening hours after he was released..
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/

IOF troops round up more Palestinians
Israeli occupation forces at dawn Monday rounded up four Palestinian young men including two brothers in Burkin village, west of Jenin city, local sources reported.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/

PA crackdown has Hamas reducing cash transfers to W. Bank
Hamas has dramatically reduced its money transfers to various charitable organizations in the West Bank formerly linked to the group, as the Palestinian Authority continues to assert its control over those organizations.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1037858.html

'We'll go to war over Hebron house,' warn settlers
Right-wing activists say they have no intention of complying with High Court ruling they must evacuate disputed property, agree on series of measures to counter expected forced evacuation. Extremists Marzel, Federman vow settlers will fight, pledge 'Greater Israel will be realized'.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3623990,00.html

Settlers threaten 'Amona'-style riots over Hebron eviction

The High Court on Sunday instructed settlers occupying a house in Hebron to evacuate it within three days, but a coalition of right-wing organizations, MKs and West Bank rabbis said they plan to oppose the move firmly.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1037864.html


Olmert orders his officers to end Hamas rule in Gaza
Israeli premier Ehud Olmert on Sunday ordered his military commanders to draw up plans to end the rule of Hamas in Gaza, adding that the recent escalation in Gaza torpedoed the truce.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/

Dark days in Gaza: Residents worried about winter

The sound of generators on the sidewalks of Gaza on the weekend made it hard for pedestrians to hear one another. Even though only a few of the well-kept stores on Omar el-Mukhtar Street, one bank and two carpentries, used generators, the noise was still great. The power outage meant most stores were dark, but it did not matter much anyway: There were no shoppers on the street.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1037857.html

Israel out to bring Gaza to its knees

The latest tightening of Israel's chokehold on Gaza – ending all supplies into the Strip for more than a week – has produced immediate and shocking consequences for Gaza's 1.5 million inhabitants.., The refusal to allow in fuel has forced the shutting down of Gaza's only power station, creating a blackout that pushed Palestinians bearing candles on to the streets in protest last week. A water and sanitation crisis are expected to follow., And on Thursday, the United Nations announced it had run out of the food essentials it supplies to 750,000 desperately needy Gazans. "This has become a blockade against the United Nations itself," a spokesman said.
http://www.jkcook.net/Articles2/0347.htm#Top

Analysis: Hamas, Israel trying to rewrite truce

AP - A June truce between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers comes up for renewal next month and it looks like both sides are trying to dictate more favorable terms.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081117/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_gaza_gamble_analysis

Israel lets limited aid into Hamas-run Gaza Strip

Israel opened a border crossing with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Monday for the first time in two weeks, allowing in a limited amount of humanitarian aid. The move came ahead of talks in Jerusalem between outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who termed Israel's tightened blockade of the Gaza Strip a "war crime".
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LH601337.htm

Israel briefly opens Gaza crossing

The Israelis have temporarily opened the Karem Abu Salem border crossing with Gaza to allow a limited supply of humanitarian aid to reach the territory.  Thirty trucks, 11 of which are carrying United Nations (UN) supplies, were allowed to travel into the Strip on Monday.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/11/200811178175924421.html

IDF officers slam top ministers for Gaza 'war-mongering'

Senior Israel Defense Forces officers criticized certain cabinet ministers on Sunday for beating the drum for military action in the Gaza Strip. The General Staff officers called for weighing more aggressive action against Hamas if the rocket fire into the Negev from the strip continued. However, they do not support reoccupying the territory at this stage. Top IDF brass also expressed concern that some politicians were trying to drag the IDF into the political debate.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1037901.html

Miliband begins Mideast trip in Occupied Jerusalem
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband arrived in the Middle East on Sunday for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a bid to bolster the peace process as Israel prepares for early elections. After landing in Israel, Miliband was due to go into Occupied Jerusalem talks with interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a British Embassy spokeswoman said.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=97738

Israelis bristle at attempt to limit exports

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, is embroiled in a diplomatic wrangle with Israel over Britain's attempts to restrict European imports from Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israelis-bristle-at-attempt-to-limit--exports-1021733.html

Israel says will release 250 Palestinian prisoners
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during talks on Monday to release 250 Palestinians prisoners next month, a spokesman for Olmert said.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LH651324.htm

Abbas to press Olmert to maintain Gaza truce
AFP - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas was expected to press Ehud Olmert on Monday to maintain a ceasefire in Gaza even though the Israeli prime minister accused Hamas of "shattering" the truce.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081117/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictgazadiplomacy

Hamas: Abbas-Olmert meeting a "farce"

Hamas on Monday described PA chief Mahmoud Abbas's meeting with the resigned Israeli premier Ehud Olmert as a "farce" and a "challenge to the Palestinian people's feelings".
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/

Abu Marzouk: Abbas's security works hard to crush all voices against Israel

Dr. Moussa Abu Marzouk stated that PA chief Mahmoud Abbas's security apparatuses devoted themselves to eliminate all voices against Israeli occupation, Dayton and the roadmap plan.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/

Palestinian factions torture opponents

RAMALLAH (IPS) - Unity talks between the two main Palestinian political factions Hamas and Fatah failed before they even began this week following Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas's refusal to release 400 Hamas prisoners held in PA jails in the West Bank. Hamas demanded their release as a precondition for attending the talks which were due to take place in Cairo.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9966.shtml

5,000 participants in RoR conference in Damascus
Rihab Mikahal, the director of the international forum on the Palestinian refugees' right of return, has announced that the inaugural session would be held in the Faiha palace in Damascus.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/

Inside Hebrons H2 Area
The city of Hebron is a 'hot potato' politically; it is disputed among Israelis, it arouses indignation among Palestinians, it is contested in the international community. It is also one of the focal points for any future peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, especially because of the some 800 Israeli settlers living in the midst of the 'former' city center, in the area carved out by the Hebron Protocol of 1997 as Hebron H2.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article699

Husband's foreign deals may pose issue for Clinton
"The Palestinians are younger and poorer today than they were when we started the peace process in 1993," he said. "And I have never met a single poor Palestinian anywhere in the world except in the Palestinian territories. Every single Palestinian I know in America is a millionaire or a college professor, and I say that with deep respect, but when there is a conflict, when there is an absence of security, there is always an absence of opportunity."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLINTONS_OVERSEAS_VENTURES?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-11-15-06-20-46

Analysis: Some Israelis want tough love from Obama
Each time a new U.S. president is elected, the question that leaps to Israeli minds is, "is he good for the Jews?"  With Barack Obama's victory, however, what's good for the 5.5 million Jews of Israel has become a matter of debate.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iTbOzP6JjiADxkj5DptLKlb0kX_gD94G64600

Palestinian expectations for Obama are mixed
AP - Palestinians hold mixed expectations that Barack Obama will be able to bring them a state of their own, though both moderates and hard-liners greeted his election with optimistic words.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081116/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_obama

Mohamed Khodr - Et tu Obama: Who will your Appointees Serve - Israel or America?
Rahm Israel Emanuel:  Will Handle U.S. Domestic Policy for Israel
Dennis Ross:  Will Handle U.S. Foreign Policy for Israel
"Right and wrong are the same in Palestine as anywhere else. What is peculiar about the Palestine conflict is that the world has listened to the party that committed the offence and has turned a deaf ear to the victims."   – Prof. Arnold Toynbee, British Historian  
http://palestinethinktank.com/2008/11/17/mohamed-khodr-et-tu-obama-who-will-your-appointees-serve-israel-or-america/

Jordan's activists plan to break Gaza blockade
Jordan's activists planned to break Gaza besiege by transporting humanitarian aid to residents there, local daily the Jordan Times reported on Monday.  Preparations are under way to dispatch a convoy of ships to Gaza Strip to break the Israeli blockade and provide food and medical supplies to Gaza residents, said Zaki Bani Rsheid, Secretary General with the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/FBUO-7LGE53?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P

Solidarity with the Al-Kurd family
On the 15th of November a music festival was held at the protest tent in Sheikh Jarrah. A Palestinian musician played to a crowd of local residents, international activists and journalists to show support for the evicted Al-Kurd family and at the same time send a message of protest to the Israeli authorities. A crowd of approximately 150 people gathered at the tent where Fawzieh Al Kurd and local residents have been living since the eviction. Film showings and football matches have also taken place at the tent as local residents, along with international activists rally together, in a show of friendship, support and solidarity for the Al Kurd family.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2008/11/17/solidarity-with-the-al-kurd-family/

Sabra and Shatilla, Time to Bring the Guilty to Trial

Perhaps it it time to bring criminal and civil charges against the PLO, USA, Syria and Lebanese Forces for the massacres in Lebanon.  As was expected, the Palestinian leadership sitting in Ramallah and around the world did not make a mention of or remembers the massacre of some 5,000 Palestinians civilians massacred in Tel-Zaatar on August 12, 1976. A massacre committed by the Lebanese Maronite militia, the Phalanges, Etien Saqr (Guardian of the Cedar) a coalition backed and actively supported by non other than Hafiz Al-Assad and his Ba'athist Party.
http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2008/11/16/sami-jamil-jadallah-sabra-and-shatilla-time-to-bring-the-guilty-to-trial/

War, death and animation: Cartoon film stirs Israel's conscience
Until a matter of months ago, very few Israelis realised that their army fired flares to light up Beirut's Sabra and Shatila refugee camps while Lebanese Christian militiamen committed the notorious massacre of Palestinian civilians there in 1982.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/war-death-and-animation-cartoon-film-stirs-israels-conscience-1021732.html

What if It Happened to Them?

For the Jews, certain words have become taboo, especially when used by non-Jews. These include Holocaust, Apartheid and Nazism. Because of the atrocities that took place against Jews throughout history, namely the killing of six million during World War II, political Judaism has allowed itself a near monopoly over human suffering. What is worse, anyone who dares parallel this to the atrocities now carried out by the Jewish state of Israel against Palestinians risks being branded as "Anti-Semitic", a "Jew hater", or an "Israel basher."
http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=18188&CategoryId=13

Ami Ayalon won't join Meretz
Following meeting with representatives of left-wing organization, minister who quit Labor decides to run for Knesset independently as head of religious Zionist Meimad party.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3624006,00.html

oPt: The time has come to stop targeting civilians

As civilians in the Gaza Strip begin another dark week, an urgent call: The Time Has Come to Stop Targeting Civilians
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/JBRN-7LGDRK?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P

Encyclopaedia of Race and Racism under Zionist Attack

Earlier this year, Macmillan Reference USA - a leading publishing house - published a "The Encyclopedia of Race and Racism".
The Encyclopaedia is the first such work examining the anthropological, sociological, historical, economic, and scientific theories of race and racism in the modern era. The set delves into the historic origins of ideas of race and racism and explores their social and scientific consequences. Some of the nearly 400 articles address broad theoretical topics that have helped to shape modern ideas about race and racism; others address more specific subjects in the larger fields. Zionism is one of those racist ideas explored in this book. It was written by Dr. Noel Ignatiev*.
http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2008/11/17/encyclopedia-of-race-and-racism-under-zionist-attack/

Sunday: 37 Iraqis Killed, 30 Wounded
Excerpt: Updated at 8:55 p.m. EST, Nov. 16, 2008 The Iraqi Cabinet approved a U.S-Iraqi security agreement that will allow U.S. troops to remain in Iraq and forwarded it to Parliament for their approval. Meanwhile, at least 37 Iraqis were killed and 30 more were wounded in today's attacks. No Coalition deaths were reported, but the U.S. notified South Korea that it will redeploy a helicopter battalion stationed there to Iraq and Afghanistan sometime next year.
http://www.antiwar.com/updates/?articleid=13771

IRAQ: NGOs concerned about detainees' rights
Source: IRIN Local NGOs are concerned about the rights of detainees in US military custody due to be transferred to the Iraqi authorities in 2009 in line with a draft US-Iraqi security pact.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/5e33cc1a389a636ddb5cbd8bbb302fb9.htm

For city's morticians, relief at last from relentless misery
For 18 months Baghdad's chief mortician could not walk across his laboratory for the bodies piled in front of him. He left work through a side door to avoid the relentless chaos outside - and became convinced that the city's slide towards hell would never stop.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/17/iraq-baghdad

SYRIA: Rice import snag leaves some Iraqi refugees short

The World Food Programme (WFP) has said it is "hopeful" of resolving a Syrian ban on imported rice that has left 30,000 Iraqi refugees facing much reduced food rations.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=81489

US wins first round over Iraq
The Iraqi cabinet's approval on Sunday of a draft agreement with Washington on the United States presence in Iraq is a key landmark in the struggle for influence in the country between Iran and the US. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his allies lost this battle, but they have not lost the war - this showdown takes place in the Iraqi parliament in a week's time.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JK18Ak02.html

THE ROVING EYE : A pact with the devil

Influential Shi'ite leader Muqtada al-Sadr is already threatening fire and brimstone over the Iraqi cabinet's approval of a draft security agreement with the United States. But Muqtada, currently studying in Iran, is in a difficult position: he has to confront the problem that in strategic terms, Tehran subscribes to not attacking US troops as the best way for the Americans to eventually leave.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JK18Ak01.html

Hip, new Baghdad hangout is a byproduct of war

The Christian Science Monitor - A group of four teenage boys sharing two mopeds buzz up and down Baghdad's trendy Akkad Street and covertly gawk at passing women.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20081117/wl_csm/olett17

George W Bush could pardon spies involved in torture
George W Bush is considering issuing pardons for US spies embroiled in allegations of torture just before he leaves the White House.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/3464442/George-W-Bush-could-pardon-spies-involved-in-torture.html

U.S. confirms it held 12 juveniles at Guantanamo

The U.S. has revised its count of juveniles ever held at Guantanamo Bay to 12, up from the eight it reported in May to the United Nations, a Pentagon spokesman said Sunday.  The government has provided a corrected report to the U.N. committee on child rights, according to Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon. He said the U.S. did not intentionally misrepresent the number of detainees taken to the isolated Navy base in southeast Cuba before turning 18.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-11-16-gitmo-juvenile_N.htm

Obama vows to shut Guantanamo

Barack Obama has promised to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.  The US president-elect, in a television interview aired on Sunday, also pledged to withdraw troops from Iraq as part of rebuilding "America's moral stature".  "I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that," Obama said on the CBS programme 60 Minutes.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/11/2008111712120192909.html

As Obama Vows to Close Guantanamo, His Advisers Are Reportedly Crafting a Plan to Create A New System of Preventive Detention and National Security Courts
During an interview on "60 Minutes" last night President-Elect Barack Obama said he plans to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay and rebuild the nation's moral stature. Last week the the Associated Press reported Obama advisers are crafting a plan that would put some Guantanamo Bay prisoners in front of a new court system designed to handle so-called "national security" cases.
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/17/as_obama_reiterates_call_to_close

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