JMCC
DAILY
PRESS SUMMARY
POBOX 25047 * EAST JERUSALEM * TEL (02) 5838266 * FAX (02) 5836837
Tuesday, 14 July 2009 Vol. 16 Number 4732 16 Pages
July 14, 2009
(First Part)
FRONT PAGE___________________________________________
THE OCCUPATION DEMOLISHES TWO HOMES IN BET HANINA AND SILWAN
SETTLERS SET FIRE INTO LANDS NEAR BET UMMAR
NETANYAHU OFFERS AN ADVISORY POST TO A SETTLER INVOLVED IN KILLING A PALESTINIAN YOUTH
AN ISRAELI DECISION TO JUDAIZE THE NAMES OF STREETS AND CITIES IN JERUSALEM AND INSIDE THE
GREEN LINE
The Israeli occupation bulldozers demolished yesterday morning the home of Palestinian citizen
Ala’ Abed al-Shweiki in Ashqaria Quarter in Bet Hanina north of occupied Jerusalem under the
claim that the house was built without license. During the demolition, the soldiers attacked the
home owners, causing injury to the home owner and his mother and arrest of the brother of the
home owner. The occupation authorities also demolished a residential building in Silwan.
In the meantime, settlers from Bet Ayn Settlement (erected on lands of Bet Ummar town) set fire
into 150 dunums of land of Bet Ummar close to the settlement. Nasri Sabarneh, Mayor of Bet
Ummar, said the fire destroyed hundreds of olive trees and agricultural lands, causing damage to
the environment in that area.
In the meantime, a spokesperson for the settlers said Israeli PM Netanyahu offered an advisory
post to a settlers leader who was involved in killing a Palestinian youth during a demonstration in
1988. Spokespersons for the PM has not denied or confirmed the report about offering Binhas
Wallerstein, 60, general director of Yishaa Settlers Council, the post.
In the meantime, Israeli Transport Ministry announced that it will erase the Arab names of towns in
Israel on the traffic signs and will keep the Jewish names. According to the decision, the term al-
Quds in Arabic will not be used any more and the term “Yerushalaim” will be written in Arabic
instead. The Minister said the decision will be implemented gradually and will be commissioned to
the public works administration. Talking to Israeli Yediot Ahronot newspaper, the minister, member
of Likud Party, said the measure is response to the Palestinians position rejecting to name the
Israeli towns with their Jewish names. (al-Hayat al-Jadida)
NETANYAHU DISCUSSES WITH BLAIR IDEAS TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN THE WEST
BANK
Israeli PM Netanyahu revealed that he discussed with the Quartet Committee Envoy Tony Blair
new ideas related to improving the economic conditions of the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria
(the Old Testament term used to refer to the West Bank). A statement issued by Netanyahu’s office
said PM Netanyahu and his First Deputy informed Blair that it is possible to make better
achievements on the economic level if the Palestinians show more cooperation. Blair said Israel
does not get the credit it deserves with regards to the easing measures offered to the Palestinians
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recently in terms of removing checkpoints and barriers. Media reports say that Netanyahu promised
Blair that Israel will remove all obstacles facing the activation of the new cellular network in the PA
and will allocate frequencies to al-Watania Mobile Company. Israel did ratify the project of
establishing the new network but has delayed for several months the allocation of frequencies
needed for the new network which pushed the Dubai-based company to demand its funds back
from the PA ($140 million) and it also threatened to cancel the project which will lead to firing
hundreds of employees. (al-Ayyam)
AL-ALOUL: PRESIDENT ABBAS WILL REQUEST FROM EGYPT TO DELAY THE DIALOGUE UNTIL AFTER
FATAH CONFERENCE
CAIRO INVITED BOTH FATAH AND HAMAS TO AN ASSESSMENT MEETING NEXT SATURDAY
Mahmoud al-Aloul, member of Fatah Revolutionary Council, affirmed yesterday evening that
President Abbas will request from the Egyptian side to delay the date of the last round of national
dialogue scheduled between Fatah and Hamas until after Fatah Sixth General Conference on
August 4, 2009. he added that President Abbas will discuss during his visit to Cairo on July 15 a
request to the Egyptian authorities to change the date of the national dialogue session until after
the conference of Fatah. Al-Aloul said the session on July 18 will be devoted to re-assess what has
been discussed in the past sessions, hoping that the last round would achieve reconciliation and
end the split. (al-Hayat al-Jadida)
ABDUL QADER RECEIVES EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FROM QATAR TO FINANCE SUPPORT SERVCIES IN
JERUSALEM
Hatem Abdul Qader, in charge of Jerusalem file in Fatah and Secretary of Qatari Ministerial
Committee to support Jerusalem, received emergency assistance from Qatar to finance support
services in the city of Jerusalem. The assistance included covering expenses of patients funds for
Jerusalemites whose medical insurance was canceled by the Israeli authorities, in addition to
students funds at al-Quds and Al-Quds Open Universities and to cover the debt of Abdul Qader’s
office and signing deals with pharmacies to provide medicine to Jerusalemite patients. The Qatari
assistance also includes support to legal and technical services for emergency structural zoning
plans in the city of Jerusalem. Abdul Qader who returned from Amman last night confirmed
receiving the assistance and said that his office will transfer the funds to the beneficiary
Jerusalemite institutions. Abdul Qader praised the support provided by the Qatari Prince,
government and people to the city of Jerusalem. (www.maannews.net)
FATAH SAYS IT WILL NOT GIVE UP THE RESISTANCE OPTION IN ITS SIXTH CONFERENCE
FATAH CENTRAL COMMITTEE CONDEMNS THE ATTACK BY FAROUQ QADDUMI AGAINST THE PRESIDENT
AND FATAH
FATAH CONFERENCE FACES QADDUMI’S ESCALATION
Fatah Movement said it will not cancel its struggle options as long as there is occupation. Fatah’s
spokesperson Fahmi Za’arir said Fatah clings to its status as leader of the Palestinian liberation
movement in the context of the PLO. He described the internal conditions inside Fatah these days
as the largest workshop lived by the movement since its start. According to Fatah sources, Fatah
Sixth Conference will ratify a political program that does not cancel the option of resistance.
President Abbas said in a meeting with Fatah women cadres in Ramallah that Fatah has not
recognized Israel and its program remains unchanged. The conference will be held in Bethlehem
amid boycott by several Fatah historical leaders, mainly Farouq Qaddumi who threatened to hold a
parallel conference but Fatah sources said the President will proceed in holding the conference
inside the Palestinian territories regardless of those who boycott it, but Fatah really fears that
Hamas might prevent around 400 members of the conference from attending the conference in
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Bethlehem despite the pressure exerted by Arab leaders who promised Abu Mazen that they will
exert pressure on Hamas to allow the participants to travel to Bethlehem. (www.aawsat.com)
In the meantime, Fatah Central Committee condemned the act by Farouq Qaddumi who held a
press conference in Amman and attacked the President and the movement and he presented to
the reporters what he described as minutes of a Palestinian-Israeli-American session. Fatah
Central Committee said the act of Qaddumi is fabricated and full of contradictions and lies and it
raises internal disputes inside the Palestinian society. The Committee said the bylaws of Fatah
prohibit any member of Fatah Central Committee from presenting material to be used by the
enemies of Fatah and the bylaws consider the act of Qaddumi as an attempt to split away from the
movement and incitement to frustrate the conference. (al-Hayat al-Jadida)
In the meantime, several Fatah circles expressed lack of optimism regarding the holding of the
conference in Bethlehem on August 4. several sources said the obstacles facing the conference
include the problem of Farouq Qaddumi opposing the conference under occupation while Major
General Khaled Musmar, member of Fatah Revolutionary Council, said there are no guarantees
that Israel will allow the entry of Fatah cadres from abroad and their safe departure, in addition to
the problem of Hamas approving the departure of Fatah cadres from Gaza to attend the
conference in Bethlehem. The preparations for the conference faced the statements of Qaddumi in
Amman last Saturday in which he accused Palestinian President Abbas and Fatah leading figure
Mohammed Dahlan of conspiring with former Israeli PM Sharon to assassinate Yasser Arafat.
Quds Press quoted Qaddumi saying that he possesses minutes of a meeting that gathered Abbas
and Dahlan with former Israeli PM Sharon and his defense minister then Shaoul Mofaz in the
presence of an American delegation headed by Williams Burns in March 2004. Qaddumi said in the
press conference that the meeting is clear proof on the plan to poison Arafat and it included plans
to assassinate Hamas leading figure Abdul Aziz Rantisi and others. Fatah sources said that the
accusations by Qaddumi is escalation that might push Abbas to insist on holding the conference in
Bethlehem regardless of the position of Qaddumi. Musmar told al-Jazeera net that the number of
participants to attend the conference is 1550 members representing Fatah in Palestine and abroad
but we faced a situation where the number of nominees for the conference far exceeds this number
which really means that we need a new meeting of the preparatory committee to ratify the increase
in number. Seven members of Fatah in Jordan sent a letter to President Abbas refusing the
reduction of number of Fatah members from Jordan from 57 to 33; Musmar talked about a
settlement reached to raise the number to 48. (www.aljazeera.net)
HEADLINES ____________________________________________
* During a meeting with Blair, Netanyahu says: We can achieve better economic results in the
West Bank!! (al-Quds)
* Medvedev announces the launching of a Russian strategic rocket from a submarine. (Al-Quds)
* A US Envoy in Israel for the resumption of Syrian-Israeli talks. Erekat: Mitchell to visit the
region soon to discuss the peace process. (Al-Quds)
* Abu Rdeineh: The statements of Lieberman is a serious indicator. (Al-Quds)
* Israel rejects the deadline set by the EU. (Al-Quds)
* Syrian FM: Israel obstructs peace. (Al-Quds)
* Conflicting reports about date of national dialogue resumption. Azzam al-Ahmad denies report
that President Abbas intends to request from Egypt to delay the talks. Hanieh: Fatah and
Hamas are in the same boat and I am ready to step down. (al-Quds)
* FMs of Non-aligned Movement meet in Sharm Sheikh to prepare for the Leaders Summit. (al-
Quds)
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* Following the aggression on Gaza, Britain imposes sanctions on provision of arms to Israel.
(al-Quds)
* Iran’s expected proposal to the international community does not include anything about the
nuclear conflict. (al-Quds)
* The war in Afghanistan and Pakistan exerts pressure on the leaders of the alliance. (al-Quds)
* Deputy Head of Israeli Mossad resigns. (al-Quds)
* In the first protest activity, declaring strike of the Arab local authorities in Israel and a sit-in
protest tomorrow. (al-Quds)
* Two homes demolished in Silwan and Bet Hanina and the Presidency conducts emergency
contacts. (al-Quds)
* Lieberman raises doubts on the legitimacy of President Abbas. (Al-Ayyam)
* The occupation troops demolish two homes in Jerusalem. (Al-Ayyam)
* Azzam al-Ahmad: There are no new Egyptian proposals and we prefer a reconciliation
government rather than the joint committee. (al-Ayyam)
* Lieberman opposes Solana’s plan: Israel rejects any peace agreement imposed by the
international community. (Al-Ayyam)
* Israel decides to Judaize the Arab names of towns and villages on the road signs. (Al-Ayyam)
* Britain cancels arms deals with Israel because some of the weapons were used in the war on
Gaza. (Al-Ayyam)
* An Egyptian newspaper: Preparing for a new plan for the settlement and Washington
requested freezing settlements for six months. (Al-Ayyam)
* An American diplomat formulates a plan for settlement between Israel and Syria. (Al-Ayyam)
*.Two new cases of Swine Flu in Ramallah and Nablus. (Al-Ayyam)
* Iraq: Survival of American ambassador following an explosion that targeted his convoy. (Al-
Ayyam)
* Tehran: the candidate Ridai warns of collapse of the system if it does not accept change and
reform. (Al-Ayyam)
* An American envoy explores possibility of reviving talks between Israel and Syria. (Al-Hayat
al-Jadida)
* Seven American soldiers injured and survival of US Ambassador after an explosion targeted
his convoy. (Al-Hayat al-Jadida)
* Two new cases of Swine Flu in Nablus and Ramallah. (Al-Hayat al-Jadida)
FRONT PAGE PHOTOS _________________________________
Al-Quds: Israeli bulldozers demolishing home of Jamal Masalmeh in Silwan yesterday.
Al-Ayyam: 1) Members from Shweiki Family looking at the ruins of their home demolished by
the occupation troops in Bet Hanina in Occupied Jerusalem yesterday; 2) Citizens rushing to
extinguish the fire set by settlers in Bet Ummar.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida: 1) A Palestinian woman pointing to the fire that was set by settlers in her
lands near Bet Ummar town; 2) Road signs in Tel Aviv pointing to Jerusalem in the three
languages before the new decision to Judaize the names.
NEWS__________________________________________________
Fence not done and never will be, it seems
Haaretz
Seven years after construction work began on the West Bank separation fence, the project seems to
have run aground. Work has slowed significantly since September 2007, and today, after the state has
spent about NIS 9.5 billion, only about 60 percent of the more limited, revised route has been completed.
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With fierce opposition coming from the United States, Israel has halted work on the "fingers" - enclaves
east of the Green Line that were to have included large settlement blocs such as Ariel, Kedumim, Karnei
Shomron and Ma'aleh Adumim, within the fence. The military has, in practice, closed up the holes that
were to have led to these "fingers." But giant gaps remain in the southern part of the fence, particular in
the southern outskirts of Jerusalem, in the Etzion bloc and in the Judean Desert.
Since the cabinet under former prime minister Ariel Sharon first approved construction of the fence, in
June 2002, the route has undergone some dramatic changes. The original route, which was inspired by
Sharon, was to have effectively annexed about 20 percent of the territory of the West Bank to Israel.
In June 2004 the High Court of Justice, ruling on a petition by residents of Beit Sourik, ordered the state
to amend the route to reduce the disruption it caused to Palestinians.
About nine days later the International Court of Justice in The Hague issued an advisory opinion
declaring the barrier illegal and demanding that Israel dismantle it.
In response, the cabinet amended the route in February 2005 to include just nine percent of the West
Bank. In April 2006 an additional one percent was shaved off by the government of Ehud Olmert.
In practice, however, the route encompasses only 4.5 percent of West Bank land. The four "fingers" in
the last map (and which Israel presented at Annapolis in November 2007) were never built, not at Ariel
and Kedumim (where a "fingernail" was built, a short stretch of fence east of the homes of Ariel); not at
Karnei Shomron and Immanuel; not at Beit Arieh, nor south of that, at Ma'aleh Adumim. Instead, with
little publicity, fences were put up to close the gaps closer to the Green Line, at Alfei Menashe instead of
at Kedumim, at Elkana instead of Ariel and in the Rantis area instead of at Beit Arieh.
About 50,000 people in these settlements remain beyond the fence. West of Ma'aleh Adumim the wall
built along Highway 1 blocks the gap in the barrier and leaves the city's 35,000 residents outside of the
barrier, forcing them to pass through a Border Police checkpoint in order to reach Jerusalem. The fact
that the "fingers" were never built also damages these people's security because the state refuses to
build periphery fences around them and declare their proximity to a "special military area."
In some cases, such as the roads built around the original barrier route at the Beit Arieh enclave,
hundreds of millions of shekels were wasted on unused roads that may never be completed.
Large gaps remain in the southern West Bank. Between Gilo in south Jerusalem and Gush Etzion are
tens of kilometers of barrier, work on which was suspended due to two High Court petitions - one filed by
residents of Beit Jala, the other by villagers from Batir, Husan and Nahalin. As a result access to
Jerusalem from the direction of Bethlehem is relatively easy - for commuters and terrorists both.
In the case of the former petition, the state has delayed submitting its response for months. In the
second, the High Court has still not ruled after about two and a half years. Part of the dispute is over the
construction of the eastern barrier, one of two surrounding Gush Etzion. The bloc, which even the
Palestinians will presumably agree to keeping - at least part of it - within Israeli territory in the final-status
agreement, has been without a barrier for seven years.
A second, 30-kilometer gap in the fence, stretches from Metzudat Yehuda (Yatir) in the west to the Dead
Sea in the east. The state announced during a recent High Court deliberation of a petition submitted by
area Bedouin that work on the barrier there was suspended.
The delay in building the barrier at Ma'aleh Adumim is typical and illuminates the state's conduct overall.
The High Court has intermittently deliberated on a petition by resident of Sawahra against the route of
the fence at Kedar that was to have been built on their land. Work was suspended, and the state
recently submitted a new map that annexes less of the territory, but at the last High Court session,
earlier this month, the representative of the state said the work would not be resumed "for budgetary and
other reasons."
Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch suspended the court's ruling, in light of the state's response,
saying she had no intention of "dealing with virtual matters." That description seems apt for the entire
separation fence, at this point.
The Brodet Commission, which in 2007 examined the state's military budget, included in its report
scathing criticism of the way the budget for the separation barrier was handled.
"The conduct regarding construction of the fence is another example of wasteful, inadequate conduct.
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The committee was not persuaded that the process was carried out with due, detailed consideration that
took in all of the economic and security considerations. The commission saw no analysis of cost-
effectiveness or a thorough examination. The army viewed itself as a subcontractor," the report said.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak is "determined to complete the security fence, despite the delays," his
office said in a statement. "The minister and the military establishment are working to solve the problems
delaying its completion."
Defense Ministry officials pointed out that Barak was "among the first supporters of the fence and did
much to advance its construction."
Security officials claim the rate of construction depends on finding a solution to the legal issues and point
out proudly that there is an unbroken barrier from Tirat Zvi in the Beit She'an Valley to the southern
entrance to Jerusalem, and from southern Gush Etzion to Metzudat Yehuda.
Hamas: Israel distributes libido-increasing gum in Gaza
Islamist group claims Israeli intelligence operatives transfer merchandise to Gaza dealers that increases
sex drive, even encourage them to distribute them free of charge in order 'to destroy' young generation.
Affair exposed after young girl chews gum, complains of bizarre side effects
Ali Waked
Is Israel targeting the Palestinian population in Gaza by distributing libido-increasing chewing gum in the
Strip? A Hamas police spokesman in the Gaza Strip Islam Shahwan claimed Monday that Israeli
intelligence operatives are attempting to "destroy" the young generation by distributing such materials in
the coastal enclave.
Shahwan said that the police got their hands on gum that increases sexual desire that, according to him,
reaches merchants in the Strip by way of the border crossings. According to him, a Palestinian drug
dealer admitted that he sold products that increase sex drive. The dealer said that he received the
materials from Israeli sources by way of the Karni crossing.
A number of suspects have been arrested.
The affair was exposed when a Palestinian filed a complaint that his daughter chewed the
aforementioned gum and experienced the dubious side effects.
Shahwan even claimed that Israeli intelligence operatives encourage dealers in Gaza to distribute the
gum for free.
"The Israelis seek to destroy the Palestinians' social infrastructure with these products and to hurt the
young generation by distributing drugs and sex stimulants," said Shahwan.
However, he noted that drugs reach the Gaza Strip by way of Rafah tunnels, and said that the police
keep a close watch on the illegal activities going on in the tunnels between Gaza and Egypt.
Shahwan added that the police have recently seized large amounts of drugs and alcohol attached to the
underside of automobiles passing through Erez crossing. The automobile owners admitted receiving
help for smuggling the materials from Israeli intelligence operatives.
OPINIONS______________________________________________
Just a little respect
Arabic names of local towns should be kept on our road signs
Ronny Shaked
One would think that the Transportation Ministry already solved all the problems on Israel’s roads: It
managed to bring down the number of road accidents, improved the entire infrastructure, and put an end
to all the traffic jams around here.
Otherwise, it is hard to understand why the ministry wastes time and money on its obsessive
preoccupation with replacing road signs around the country with ones that use the Hebrew names of
communities even in the Arabic and English translation.
In a few days, when the new signs will be posted across the nation, tourists who wish to reach
Jerusalem will get lost – because the sign leading to the city will say “Yerushalayim” instead of
“Jerusalem.”
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And once peace prevails in the region, God willing, the tourists from Egypt and Saudi Arabia will also be
unable to make their way to the city, because instead of “Urshalim (al-Quds)” the sign will say
“Yerushalayim” in Arabic letters.
Nazareth, or “al-Nasra” as Arab residents know it, will become “Natsrat” and Safed will become “Tsfat.”
Arabic is an official language in the State of Israel, so why not use the Arabic names of cities or villages?
In any case, very few Israelis read Arabic, so why not give Israeli Arabs the respect their language
deserves? If we have Arabic on road signs, why not use the proper and common names?
Changing the name of communities on road signs will not make these towns less Arab or more Zionistic.
It will merely present the Transportation Ministry in a ridiculous light.
It is indeed a pity that ministry officials are not dealing with the real problems that cause the many lethal
accidents on our roads and the terrible traffic jams; instead, they are trying to rewrite history and Judaize
Israel in the spirit of the Greater Land of Israel ideology.
July 14, 2009
(Second Part)
VOICE OF PALESTINE__________________________
Stringer`s
Qalqilia: Israeli forces arrested eight Palestinian residents during a raid this dawn on A`zzoun village
east of Qalqilia.
Hebron: settlers from Tal Rmeideh settlement in Hebron district attacked and beat a Palestinian child
called Jamil Abu Haykal. The settlers handcuffed the child`s hands and covered his eyes before harshly
beating him.
INTERVIEWS_______________________________________
**E`rikat: Abu Mazen to meet with President Mubarak either tonight or tomorrow at the margin of
the non-alliance movement summit meeting in Sharm a-Sheik**
Saeb E`rikat: Head of the PLO Negotiation Affairs Department.
Q: Will president Abbas truly meet with President Mubarak and with Minister Omar Suleiman
today in Sharm a-Sheikh?
I do not know exactly if the meeting will be held today or tomorrow. President Abbas heads today to
Sharm a-Sheikh in order to participate and address a speech in the summit meeting of the non-alliance
states. He will hold there several meetings given that 52 countries participate in this summit meeting. A
special committee consisting of 13 states emanated from the non-alliance movement and there is a need
to activate it. Abu Mazen will likely meet with President Mubarak tonight or tomorrow.
Q: Member of “Fatah” Revolutionary Council, Mahmoud al-A`loul, said that president Abbas will
request from President Mubarak to postpone the national dialogue until after “Fatah” sixth
conference. Can you confirm this?
Egypt is the party that is in charge of setting dates for the national dialogue. The Egyptians are not
interested in holding additional dialogue meetings but in a final session that could determine all
unresolved affairs. We support this Egyptian approach.
Q: Israeli press sources quoted Obama saying that the gaps between the US administration and
Israel on settlements building have been narrowed. Has the Palestinian side received official US
signals on this reportedly US-American progress?
The Israeli media and officials deal with balloon tests. The USA is fully capable of solely expressing
itself. Last week, the Israeli newspaper “Maariv” published that an agreement was reached between the
USA and Israel on the continuation of the building of 2500 settlement housing units. We phoned the US
administration that denied this report and subsequently released a statement on this regard. Two days
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ago, the president sent a message to the US administration via the US consul general, Jack Wallace,
and in which he reaffirmed the Palestinian stance on settlement building.
**al-Ahmad: intensive preparations are underway to hold “Fatah” sixth conference on the 4th of
August in Bethlehem**
A`zzam al-Ahmad: Member of the Preparatory Committee for “Fatah” Sixth Conference.
Q: Is the road to Bethlehem easily paved to hold the sixth conference there?
Everyone yearns to holding this conference. The entire world more than the Palestinians themselves is
looking up for this event to happen given its high significance. Preparations are intensively underway
and review meetings are held in various areas for “Fatah” base. The specific hall where the conference
will be held has been chosen and the preparation of all other administrative requirements are underway.
For the first time in the history of “Fatah” general conferences, representatives of Arab and friendly
foreign political parties have been invited to the sixth conference as observers.
**”Fatah” spokesperson: going to election is the ultimate alternative should “Hamas” insists on
failing the national dialogue **
Fahmi a-Za`areir: “Fatah” Spokesperson.
Q: How do you comment on “Hamas” accusing “Fatah” of failing the national dialogue?
This is part of the intensive attempts by “Hamas” movement to prepare the Palestinian and Arab climates
for a possible failure that it seeks to make it happen by all means. “Hamas” is totally unready to give up
its partisan achievements in favor of the higher Palestinian national project. I hope that the Egyptian side
will play a stronger role by clearly pointing at the party that really impedes the national dialogue.
Q: Has “Fatah” movement formulated a counter vision should “Hamas” continue insisting on
failing the national dialogue?
“Fatah” movement has several alternatives. The first and ultimate alternative is in the hands of the
Palestinian people who are exclusively mandated to elect their leaders on the level of the PLC, the
presidency and the PLO institutions.
**Head of PGMC: the center aims at building credibility for the government PR performance in
media outlets**
Ghassan al-Khatib: Head of the Palestinian Governmental Media Centre.
Q: What is the nature of the work of this centre?
This centre is going to be responsible of media and press actions and of the government public relations.
On the one hand, the center will be in charge of transferring all information on the government actions,
stances and programs through media outlets to the public. On the other hand, the center will follow up
the performance of media outlets in terms of coverage of the government activities and in order to draw
conclusions for required changes in the government policies while taking into account trends in public
opinion and in local, Arab and international media.
Q: will the center deal with all media outlets in the Palestinian territories including the private
ones?
The center will not deal with the private media outlets. It will be in charge of following up the performance
of public media. In other words, the center will function as an agent between the government and the
prime ministry on the one hand, and the local, Arab and international media outlets on the other hand. As
for journalism as a profession and other related legal affairs to advance this occupation in the homeland,
this is a different matter that needs to be handled differently.
Q: What are the suggested perspectives for improving the performance?
The initial perspectives are related to the necessity of building credibility for the government performance
and its reflection in the media outlets. In addition, the availability of information from the side of the
government to the media outlets is also required. The center will also be in charge of developing and
training capacities in public relation and media departments of various public institutions.
Q: What would be the next step?
The building of this public media model will be followed with searching appropriate frames for
implementation thereby ensuring the unification of the media discourse and performance of all
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governmental institutions as well as institutions that belong to other authorities like the PLO. The
success of an official governmental Palestinian media is impossible unless a unified media discourse is
available.
OTHER HEADLINES______________________________________
* Hussam Khader: there is a noticeable alliance between the symbols of corruption and sabotage inside
Fatah. (www.alwatanvoice.com)
ARAB PRESS_____________________________________________
Jordan
Jordan Times
Rational idea
European Union top diplomat Javier Solana has recently offered a way out of the stalemate in the Middle
East peace process.
The EU foreign policy chief proposed that the UN Security Council take complete charge of the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict by adopting a resolution recognising an independent Palestinian state even in
the absence of a final status agreement between the two sides.
This rational idea, calling for an effective Security Council intervention to endorse the two-state solution
and the resolution of borders, Palestinian refugees and the final status of Jerusalem without waiting for
the two parties to reach an agreement is indeed excellent and may end the Palestinian-Israeli problem
once and for all.
At a time when the two peoples cannot seem to agree on fundamental issues dividing them, let alone
finer details, it is a matter of absolute rationality to accept the arbitration of the international organisation,
which can step in and impose a solution envisaging the creation of a sovereign, independent Palestinian
state that would be accepted as a full- fledged member of the UN.
Israel would no doubt be quick to reject this international intervention, having snubbed every
international resolution on the Palestinian case ever since the UN partition plan in 1947. Yet eventually it
would have to comply - or be made to - with the will of the international community, especially when it
comes from the highest authority mandated with solving world problems.
It makes much sense for the international community to take charge of this almost century-old conflict
and adopt a definitive resolution for its settlement.
If the EU manages to convince the permanent members of the Security Council to come on board for the
swift realisation of this plan of action, these may then move in concert to implement it as soon as
possible.
It being understood that any such UN action would be consistent and in harmony with all previous UN
resolutions on the Palestinian question, especially those adopted by the Security Council.
Will American pressure on Israel pay off?
By Hassan A. Barari
US President Barack Obama’s willingness to adopt a comprehensive approach that deals with all the
issues and all the regional players seems to be the hallmark of his foreign policy vis-à-vis the Middle
East. However, it is not yet clear how he will deal with non-state actors that are seen by the West as
spoilers.
Arab leaders have been sending more or less the same message regarding peace in the region: the key
is in the Obama administration’s hand. All it takes, from the Arab perspective, to have peace is for
Obama to exert pressure on Israel to respond positively to the Arab Peace Initiative.
Explicit in the Arab position is that the Arabs have done their part and now it is Israel’s turn to rise up to
the occasion and make peace with them. This message resonates well in Washington. On different
occasions, Obama has alluded positively to the “daring” Arab Peace Initiative, which boosted his status
in the Middle East.
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If anything, Obama’s firm position on settlements has startled and embarrassed the Netanyahu led
government. Furthermore, his administration’s insistence on a total freeze of settlement activities has
created momentum for peace in the region despite Israel’s attempts to magnify the Iranian nuclear threat
to ditch the peace process. So far, Netanyahu has remained impervious to Washington’s new position.
Many have thought that continued American pressure might bring about the collapse of the Israeli
government. Some Israelis even argue that this is exactly what Obama is looking to achieve! If this were
true, how strong could Netanyahu be in Israel?
According to new polls conducted by the Tami Centre, Netanyahu’s position is endorsed by a broad
majority of Israelis. Some 61 per cent of the Jewish public supports Israel’s “right” to expand existing
settlements.
Yet, Jewish public support for Netanyahu’s policy on settlements is not without a cost. Their support for
Netanyahu on this point in particular will erode if his settlement policy is seen to worsen the American-
Israeli relations.
Under this scenario, only 40 per cent support his position, whereas 48 per cent oppose him. Put
differently, one-third of those who support Netanyahu’s policy on settlement change their minds when
they realise that such support runs the risk of damaging Tel Aviv’s relations with Washington. Implicit in
this conclusion is that unrelenting American pressure on Israel can make a difference.
That said, American diplomacy is hamstrung by other factors as well. Time, for example, cannot be
ignored. If the American administration fails to translate its words into deeds, soon anti-American
sentiments in the Middle East will reemerge. This will not only complicate American policy in the region
as a whole, it will make it difficult for Arab leaders to offer concessions and justify them to their people.
Seen this way, one is tempted to make the case that the window of opportunity is limited and might
disappear by the end of the year. Some Arabs argue that this is exactly what Israel has been trying to do
to evade a genuine peace process: buy time. I totally agree with such claims, nonetheless, repeating this
is like beating a dead horse! Why haven’t the Arabs done anything to empower Obama to deal with
Israel?
This takes me to a related point. The continued Palestinians division and the failure of the Arabs to
intervene positively and constructively in the Palestinian politics have been key obstacles to jumpstarting
a genuine peace process.
Hamas has already acknowledged the utility of the two-state solution, yet stopped short of recognising
Israel. Many have argued that Hamas has sent a message but nobody is picking it up. The Arab states
have not capitalised on this change within Hamas, particularly after the tactical retreat of the Iranian
influence.
The American official position on dealing with Hamas has remained the same. On the other hand,
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is not taken seriously by the American administration. Although
Abbas is a willing partner for peace, he is not capable. Therefore, short of realising reconciliation among
the Palestinians factions, it is unlikely that American pressure on Israel can pay off.
What Arabs can do to support peace
By James J. Zogby
In 1991, as part of its overall approach to post-Gulf War peace making, the administration of George H.
W. Bush secured an Arab agreement to suspend their secondary boycott against companies doing
business with Israel, in return for an Israeli commitment to freeze settlements. Three years later, in 1994,
as co-chair of Builders for Peace, a US private sector initiative launched by vice-president Al Gore, I
made the first of many visits to Israel/Palestine, accompanying Gore, secretary of commerce Ron Brown
or delegations of Arab American and American Jewish businessman.
We had just arrived at Ben Gurion Airport and were heading to a meeting in Tel Aviv. I was riding with an
American Jewish colleague who, it turned out, had been a frequent visitor to Israel, but who had not
been there in three years. As we approached Tel Aviv, looking at the city’s night lights - neon signs
aglow, advertising a broad array of products, my companion noted with delight “these signs are the first
fruits of peace. Because of the boycott, many of these businesses weren’t here three years ago. Now
they are”.
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The next day, we left our hotel in Jerusalem travelling north to Ramallah. On our way, we passed
massive construction sites of new housing up and down the hills surrounding the Holy City,
encapsulating tiny Palestinian villages now trapped in their shadows.
“Are these new settlements?” I asked.
“No,” was the reply, “this is just an extension of Ramot” - pointing to another large aggregation of homes
on an entirely different hill.
These were impressions. Here is the hard data.
In 1991, Israel’s per capita GDP was $14,000. Three years later, after the ending of the secondary
boycott and Madrid and Oslo, Israel’s per capita GDP had risen to almost $16,000. Palestinians did not
fare as well. In 1991, their per capita GDP was $900. Three years later, new Israeli restrictions on
Palestinian labour and continued control over all access to and egress from the territories, resulted in the
Palestinian per capita GDP only increasing to $1,100.
Meanwhile, at the beginning of 1991, there were 243,000 settlers in the West Bank and Jerusalem. By
the end of 1994, they were nearing 300,000. (Most recent figures show Israel’s per capita GDP at
around $25,000, in contrast to a stagnant $1,300 for the Palestinians. And there are now almost 500,000
settlers in the occupied lands!)
This history bears repeating if only to understand why some Arab states may be reluctant to offer new
concessions to Israel in return for the same settlement freeze that was to have been implemented 18
years and 250,000 settlers ago.
This being said, I believe that there are good reasons for the Arab side to find a careful but creative
approach to elaborating on their 2002 and 2007 Arab peace initiatives.
It is clear that the Obama administration is making a real effort to press Israel to suspend all settlement
construction - using, at times, language not heard since the time of president Jimmy Carter. In this
context, positive Arab gestures should not be seen as a reward for Israel (which it has not earned and
does not deserve), but rather as a sign of support for the US effort and as a further Arab commitment to
peace making.
Second, it is clear from the frequent statements coming from the US, and now being echoed in Israel,
urging Arabs to take new steps, that the pressure (both public and private) will not let up. Given this, a
new Arab initiative can be useful and important, if only not to be boxed in and portrayed as presenting an
obstacle to peace.
Third, until now, with only the US and Israel doing the talking, the nature of the expected Arab response
is being defined by them. Given all that has transpired in recent years and given, as well, current
regional tensions, many of the ideas proposed may be viewed as problematic in much of the Arab world.
Nevertheless, should the Obama administration succeed in securing a complete and verifiable halt in all
construction, a positive response by those Arab states able to do so would be in order, both to support
the US effort, as well as to ensure that no further so-called “facts on the ground” are put in place.
Stopping E1 before it starts, and aborting other expansion and “thickening” projects, are goals worth
supporting. But the Arab gestures must be carefully considered, so as to be calibrated (not turning the
Arab Peace Initiative on its head by providing recognition and normalisation before peace) and
conditioned on Israeli performance (unlike the end of the secondary boycott, which produced benefits for
only one side).
While these limited steps may be taken by some Arab states, there are other avenues open to the Arab
consensus that would make clear their intentions to seek peace, while not enflaming their public or
compromising the only remaining leverage available to them.
Here’s what the Arab states could propose. First, there should be insistence that Israel meet the
following initial conditions (all of which are either called for in the roadmap and/or supported by the
Obama administration): a total freeze on all settlement construction; removal of outposts, internal
checkpoints and roadblocks; an end of the blockade on construction goods and other needed supplies to
Gaza; the beginning of serious negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.
With these conditions met, the Arab League could authorise a representative delegation to participate
with the Israeli and Palestinian teams in a series of Track II negotiations on critical issues of regional
importance: water, energy, Jerusalem, refugee resettlement and the establishment of an economic
development fund/plan for a future Palestinian state.
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These talks and the plans they develop should run in tandem with the Track I Israeli-Palestinian, Israeli-
Syrian and Israeli-Lebanese talks, and be implemented, as agreed by the parties, at times deemed
appropriate to support the implementation of the Track I talks.
Such an Arab effort, complementary to the more immediate and limited gestures made by some, will
support US peace efforts, allowing the Arab states to define, for themselves, their elaboration of the Arab
Peace Initiative, while making clear their intention to participate as full partners in a comprehensive
Middle East peace.
Saudi Arabia
Arab News
Editorial: Internecine fight
THE split between Palestinians has taken another destructive, institutional turn. Earlier this month, the
Hamas prime minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, said that his security forces had uncovered a number of
Israeli spy networks. Just days later, it was reported that the Israelis planned to permit the Palestinian
government to set up a special anti-terrorist force in the West Bank. Neither of these operations are
directed against Israel. They are directed against each other. The PA’s “counterterrorist” force will be
aimed specifically at Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the West Bank while the Hamas statement made it
clear that the Israeli “spies” are in fact Fatah supporters and that it considers any Palestinian who
supports Fatah a spy.
One calls the other “terrorist” while the other responds by labeling its opponent “spy.” The use of such
charged terms is deliberate; by designating their political opponents as traitors and potential killers, it
gives them the apparent right to arrest them — which is what is happening. Both sides are engaged in a
massive clampdown on the other.
These are the tactics of dictatorship. It is what Stalin and the communists and Hitler and the fascists did.
That Israeli spies exist in Gaza — and in the West Bank as well — is certain. How else do the Israelis
have such accurate information on the whereabouts of Hamas figures and others they want to kill? Their
knowledge was devastatingly evident during the Gaza War six months ago.
But to suggest that simply being a Fatah supporter is to be an Israeli spy or, worse, that anyone in Gaza
who receives a salary from the PA authority is a spy, as Haniyeh has claimed, is a politically motivated
lie — as is the claim that anyone in the West Bank who supports Hamas is a terrorist. Some support
Hamas because they think it morally superior to Fatah, or that there can be no accommodation with
Israel. They may or may not be right, but that does not make them terrorists.
The charge made against Hamas and Fatah over the past two years — that in fighting each other they
connive at Israel’s hold over them — bears constant repetition. It is Israel they need to target instead of
each other.
It is easy to say, and to a certain extent true, that Palestinian divisions are the Israelis’ doing. But that
does not excuse them, and it will not win them freedom. In Europe during World War II, ideological
divisions between different resistance groups in Nazi-occupied countries resulted all too often in their
betraying each other. Their divisions robbed them of the power to defeat the real enemy. Their liberation
came not through their own efforts but from outside forces — the Americans the British and the Soviets.
The Palestinians are playing the same destructive game — but there is no outside army about to free
them.
US President Barack Obama said in Ghana this week that Africa’s future lies in African hands. The same
is true for the Palestinians. It can be done. After years of being puppets manipulated by outside political
forces, the Lebanese have risen up and asserted their freedom.
The Palestinians need to demonstrate the same willpower. But first they need to realize that there can be
political differences but a common goal. Without unity of purpose, their just struggle is fundamentally
flawed.
Unrest in China
EXCERPTS from the editorial that appeared in The Washington Post on Sunday:
If the reports of deadly riots and repression in a far-off region of China sounded familiar last week, it’s
because you have heard them — or something much like them — before. The uprising by ethnic Uighurs
in the city of Urumqi in Xinjiang province was the third such popular protest by Uighurs in the past 20
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years, and it looked a lot like the trouble that broke out last year in Tibet. What began as a peaceful
protest by an aggrieved minority turned to rioting after police responded harshly. Then followed a brutal
crackdown by security forces, accompanied by revenge attacks by members of China’s Han majority.
As always, Chinese authorities are blocking communications from the region and fomenting Han
nationalism with xenophobic diatribes in the state-controlled media. Once again an exiled leader is
blamed, without evidence, for fomenting “terrorism” — in this case Rebiya Kadeer, the World Uighur
Congress leader, who lives in Fairfax County, Va.
One reason China’s Communist leadership rejected the political reforms undertaken by the Soviet Union
in the 1980s is a fear that Xinjiang would follow the path of neighboring Soviet Central Asian republics —
some of them also populated by Turkic ethnic groups — that became independent nations. But Beijing is
simply repeating all of the mistakes of the Soviet Union. It has systematically suppressed Uighur culture
and language; practice of the Muslim religion is also tightly controlled. Millions of Han Chinese have
moved to the province over the last half century, turning the eight million Uighurs into a minority in their
own land.
The United States and other Western countries have tried for years, in vain, to persuade Chinese
leaders to change policy in Tibet. Unlike the Dalai Lama, Uighurs get little love in Paris or Hollywood;
mostly they are known for the alleged militants held at the Guantanamo Bay prison, who have been
found to pose no threat but who (with four recent exceptions) have not been released, for lack of a place
to send them. But this minority, too, deserves support. The suppression of the Uighurs’ legitimate
demands for justice will not make them go away; it will only weaken China’s ability to hold on to the
territory in the long term.
Racism and bigotry on the rise
Linda Heard I Sierra12th@yahoo.co.uk —
AS someone who grew up in a multiethnic neighborhood of London, I have difficulty understanding why
a growing number of Britons and other Europeans invest so much energy in hating others simply
because of their religion or race. Are they fearful of people who are superficially different from them? Are
they concerned about foreigners taking their jobs? Are they just hate-filled individuals in search of an
easy target as an outlet for their own negative emotions or just easily influenced sheep who derive a
sense of belonging from sharing their hate with co-members of right-wing or neo-Nazi parties?
Because I’ve always derived pleasure in mixing with people of different cultures who have given me so
much in terms of understanding and knowledge, I would like to think that cross-cultural mingling would
“cure” such contemptuous attitudes because, in the end, regardless of their color or garb, people are just
people the world over. But, now, I’m not sure.
A very close British friend — let’s call him Brian — who has lived and worked abroad for most of his life,
tells me that he supports the racist British National Party (BNP). His anger is palpable when our phone
conversations occasionally turn to the subject of race. He maintains that the traditional face of Britain
has been changed forever due to the influx of immigrants, whom he resents for failing to assimilate into
the British way of life, preferring to reside within community pockets. “I want my country back,” he usually
says. “What can we do about this? They should go back.”
“Go back to where?” I ask. “Most have been born in the UK. They are as British as you or I.” I then
remind him of our country’s colonial past, which opened Britain’s door to “subjects” of Her Majesty and of
the indisputable fact that the vast majority of his own friends are non-British. And I know, for a fact, that,
although he is not particularly wealthy, he has been generous to many of them in terms of helping to pay
for operations and even donating toward a Thai family’s aspirations to own a small farm.
I also tell him that Britain would be in a sorry state without its doctors, nurses, transport workers, factory
employees, and small business owners, whose fathers and grandfathers once flocked to UK shores in
search of a better life. How bland and boring would Britain be without its 24/7 Indian-owned corner
shops, its Greek and Turkish kebab houses and its Italian-style al fresco cafes? The discussion almost
always ends with his admission that his feelings are irrational but even knowing that on a cerebral level
does not defuse his frustration.
Brian and I have agreed to differ on this topic. There is nothing scientific about this anecdotal tale, but
because Brian is such a genuinely nice man of above intelligence his story begs the question how many
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other ordinary throughout Britain and Europe feel similarly? He is not inherently racist. He feels a loss of
identity and an erosion of his inherited roots. Do they? Are these the sentiments that are driving the
indisputable rise of European nationalist parties?
Enough of the personal stuff! Let’s look at the facts.
The horrendous fatal stabbing of the young Egyptian pharmacist Marwa El-Sherbini within full view of
courtroom officials, compounded by a seeming lack of interest by the German media, has latterly
become a symbol of European race-hate. But the issue goes much deeper.
FOLLOWING EU elections Britain’s BNP celebrated its win of two seats in the EU Parliament. Its
controversial leader Nick Griffin, a former organizer of the National Front, was recently quoted as
advocating the sinking of immigrant boats. Only such drastic action could prevent Europe “being
swamped by the Third World,” he said.
His party’s constitution says it all. The party is “committed to stemming and reversing the tide of
nonwhite immigration and to restoring, by legal changes, negotiation and consent the overwhelmingly
white makeup of the British population that existed in Britain prior to 1948. Party membership is also
restricted to “indigenous British ethnic groups deriving from the class of ’Indigenous Caucasian’.”
The BNP’s unprecedented EU victory was mirrored by far-right parties in Italy, Denmark, Romania,
Finland, Hungary and the Netherlands. The extreme right-wing Freedom Party in Austria actually ran an
anti-Islamic campaign with posters calling for “The Occident in Christian hands.” Throughout Europe, the
left and the center left, which has been termed irrelevant, took a serious beating.
Nationalist German parties such as the National Democratic Party (NDP) failed to win seats in the EU
but they did achieve massive gains in Eastern Germany, managing to grab 120 seats on various local
councils. Some observers are crediting the recession, job losses and pension fears for this trend. But
Germany, which is so sensitive to anything that smacks of anti-Semitism for obvious reasons, has a lot
more to worry about. Recent decades have witnessed the rise of a neo-Nazi movement that becomes
more aggressive as each year passes. Ruthless and highly organized, they are using the recession as
propaganda to garner recruits in the same way that Hitler capitalized on the Great Depression to gain
power. Desperate people want a channel to vent blame for their own woes and neo-Nazis are
conveniently holding up foreigners as a scapegoat.
An article written by Alan Hall and published in The Telegraph last February titled “Neo-Nazis Plotting
“Fourth Reich in Germany” paints a worrying picture. Hall got an insight into the mentality of these
morons when he interviewed a former member turned whistle-blower. “He told of weapons stores and
how members greet each other with ‘Heil Hitler’ salutes, sing the banned songs of the Third Reich and
relish the idea of a new Holocaust against the Jews,” wrote Hall. The informer described these new Nazi
adherents as being failures, school dropouts, thugs or alcoholics who delight in tattooing Nazi symbols
on their arms and shaving their heads. “Many have an IQ close to my shoe size,” he told Hall. Incredibly,
they are being financially supported by ex-Nazis hiding out in parts of South America. Intellectually,
spiritually and emotionally challenged they may be, but this doesn’t stop them being dangerous.
Germany is attempting to deal with burgeoning neo-Nazi attacks, while, last May, Austrian neo-Nazis
screaming “Heil Hitler” and “This way for the gas” fired guns at elderly Italian and French survivors of the
Nazi death camp Mauthausen attending the 64th anniversary of the camp’s liberation. If European
governments don’t work together to combat this monstrous hate that is permeating their societies one
can easily envisage a day when their main streets will once again become rivers of blood. They must act
now!
United Arab Emirates
Gulf News
Few tears for crimes against Muslims
By Linda S. Heard, Special to Gulf News
As if we needed any more proof that the international media deliberately avoids exposing anti-Muslim,
anti-Palestinian injustices, its suspect behaviour during recent days has sealed the case.
Even as we were being force-fed minute details of Michael Jackson's colourful life along with endless
speculation as to the true parentage of his children, a former US Congresswomen and presidential
candidate, Cynthia McKinney, was languishing in an Israeli jail.
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Her 'crime' was boarding the Free Gaza Movement's aid vessel The Spirit of Humanity in Cyprus, in an
effort to break Israel's cruel siege of Gaza, which even the US President has condemned.
Like several of her sister vessels, The Spirit of Humanity was attacked by the Israeli Navy in international
waters before being boarded by Israeli commandos and dragged along with its crew and passengers
towards Israel.
Once there, 21 human rights advocates from the US, Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Jordan, Palestine and
Yemen, including McKinney, Noble Laureate Mairead Maguire, and documentary filmmaker Adam
Shapiro, were incarcerated.
Let's be realistic. If just about any other high-profile US politician on any other mission had been
detained within a cell block on foreign soil, the incident would have merited headlines.
However, McKinney's abduction went almost unnoticed. Not only was the story relegated to the back
pages, if it ran at all, there was a corresponding absence of comment from Congress and the White
House.
McKinney is now home after refusing to sign a statement in Hebrew that she was guilty of a violation, but
the mainstream media is certainly not clamouring at her door for interviews.
As far as I can tell, her ordeal has mostly been covered by left-wing outlets such as Democracy Now or
Middle East networks including Al Jazeera and Press TV.
A number of McKinney's supporters say the reason for the media blackout was the fact that she is a
black American. But, in fact, it's her cause that's the problem rather than her colour.
My analysis is based on the lack of media coverage given to the Viva Palestina aid convoy of trucks and
ambulances from London to Gaza, led by British Parliamentarian George Galloway.
The Herculean efforts of hundreds of ordinary Britons to deliver much-needed humanitarian supplies to
war-torn Gaza earlier this year was a non-event as far as the media was concerned until Galloway was
barred from entering Canada as a result.
Unless you're a person who relentlessly digs on the internet, you probably are not aware that during
McKinney's ordeal, Galloway, along with Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic, were meeting up with over
200 Americans in Cairo armed with $2 million (Dh7.35 million) that was raised in the US to buy trucks
and medical aid destined for Gaza.
The Egyptian English-language paper Ahram Weekly dubs this "the largest grassroots medical relief
effort for Gaza in US history" but once again, this doesn't merit column inches in either US or European
mainstream papers.
In a similar vein, is the way that the horrendous courtroom stabbing of 32-year-old Marwa Al Sherbini
was considered inconsequential by the German media until it elicited angry protests in her hometown of
Alexandria.
There are so many aspects to this story, which should have been emblazoned across front pages.
First of all it was a blatant race crime, which Germany is normally sensitive about. Second, it begs
questions concerning court security.
What were armed officers doing when Marwa was stabbed 18 times and why was her husband shot
when he attempted to protect his pregnant wife?
What kind of editors would bin reports of such a horrendous crime carried out in full view of the
authorities? What were they thinking?
Purely coincidentally, I was sitting at a table with one of Marwa's uncles in an Alexandria coffee shop
when he received a call on his mobile and had to dash off because of a "family emergency".
Today, this exceptionally close-knit family is devastated and hurt that the murder of one of their own
wasn't initially treated with the weight the crime deserved.
Egyptians are outraged at Germany's disinterest and the inaction of their own foreign office. The
numbers who attended her funeral, who gathered outside the German embassy in Cairo and who
demonstrated in Cairo and Alexandria speak for themselves.
Because Marwa's dispute with her attacker was based on his objections to her Islamic headscarf, the
death of the young pharmacist has become an emblem for the rights of Muslim women at a time when
the French President is attempting to ban the burqa. Marwa loved life.
She didn't plan to become a martyr. But in the eyes of Egyptians calling for a mosque and a street in
Alexandria to be renamed in her honour, she is a heroine.
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If the US and Europe are chronically supine when it comes to Muslim causes, then the governments and
media throughout the Arab and Muslim world should embrace them clearly and loudly.
With anti-Muslim hate crimes on the rise, Muslims need a strong united voice on the international stage.
Shame on the world's media that appears to be united only in its anti-Muslim bias!
Linda S. Heard is a specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She can be contacted at
lheard@gulfnews.com. Some comments may be considered for publication.
ENDS