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Welcome to Palestine Today a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org for Thursday, July 12, 2010.
Netanyahu does not believe a peace is achievable by 2012 and a new report exposes the horrific treatment of prisoners during Operation Cast Lead these stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was interviewed by Fox News on Sunday. Asked if he thought having a peace by 2012 was possible he said this, ‘Can we have a negotiated peace? Yes. Can it be implemented by 2012? I think it’s going to take longer than that.’
This runs in the face of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s plans to establish the infrastructure for a Palestinian state by the end of next year.
In spite of this, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that in the coming weeks he would be taking concrete steps to encourage the Palestinians to join direct talks.
He also spent time reciting the talking points the Israeli government has well established in regards to Iran. That Iran is the ‘ultimate terrorist threat today’ and that Israel reserves the right to defend itself.
A new report by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel and Adalah groups spells out the abuses inflicted upon Palestinians during 2009’s Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.
They received testimonies from a number of Palestinians illustrating a gross negligence in disregarding local and international law.
Israel failed to provide immediate notification to families affected by the detention of their loved ones and to groups dealing with detainees.
Those held by the Israelis were also kept in dehumanizing places; ditches and cold, dark cells with poor sanitation and minimal food. The groups also took statements from many individuals documenting their time spent as human shields for the Israeli military, in some cases for up to ten days.
The report also attacks Israel’s creation of an ‘unlawful combatant’ label for civilians. It is a label which strips them of the rights guaranteed to prisoners of war have as well as denying them the status and rights as civilians.
In Beit Ola near Hebron, the Israeli authorities illegally expropriated thirty more dunums of land from residents.
The occupying authority did not even hand notice to the residents, it placed them on the lands in question and gave them forty-five days to appeal the decision. This adds to the 1000 dunums the Israeli army has confiscated for the illegal annexation wall being built.
Yuval Diskin, the head of Israeli security group Shin Bet, visited Jenin in attempts between Israeli and Palestinian security agencies to strengthen ties.
Both Israelis and the Palestinian Authority, controlled by Fatah, have a common enemy in Hamas. The Authority is quick to point out drops in the crime in A areas under their control, while a majority of the security issues arise from B and C areas under Israeli control.
Six people were injured during a Sunday protest march by Christians in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem. After concussion grenades and tear gas was fired at the peaceful protestors some youth began to throw stones and empty bottles at the soldiers. The soldiers then ran at the protestors and began beating them randomly.
Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem, you have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, for constant update, please visit our website at www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by Brian Ennis.
