[Previous entry: "Palestine and Native America"] [Next entry: "Annexing Khuzestan; battle-plans for Iran"]

02/02/2006:

"Out-of-court deal awards Palestinians NIS 2.4 million"

The Defense Ministry a few days ago gave NIS 2.4 million to 28 Palestinians who were tortured by the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security service. The payment was made after an out-of-court settlement was reached with the plaintiffs, who agreed that suits brought to the Tel Aviv Magistrate and District courts would be turned down.

One of the plaintiffs, Benan Oudeh, 31, of Qalqilya, arrested a few years ago for throwing stones, told Haaretz yesterday that his testicles were beaten so badly in the interrogation room that they had to be amputated.
haaretz.com


U.S. State Department to investigate failure to foresee Hamas victory
...U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledged earlier this week that she was surprised by Hamas's defeat of the Fatah party, which had dominated Palestinian politics for years.

"She's asked her staff to look into that. Why is it that we didn't see this coming?" US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
The news was full of it for weeks, where was she?


U.S. Evangelists to boost Israel support in wake of Hamas win
The victory of Hamas in last week's Palestinian election will likely strengthen the relationship between Israel and evangelicals, Knesset members and Christian leaders said Monday.


'75% of Hamas voters oppose destruction of Israel'
Three-quarters of Palestinians that voted for the Hamas say they are opposed to calls for the destruction of Israel, according to a poll published on Tuesday.

The Palestinian Authority's Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda daily survey stated that 84% of Palestinians support a peace deal with Israel.

More than 75% of the peace-deal supporters voted for Hamas.


U.S. Congress moves to legislate against Hamas-led PA
...The legislation introduced by Ross-Lehtinen and Lantos is broad in reach and scope, and includes measures aimed at strengthening travel restrictions to the U.S. on members or associates of Hamas, integrated into the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), municipalities, and other constituent elements.

Furthermore, the legislation wants the U.S. to withhold contributions to the UN proportional to the amounts the UN provides to such entities or to UN programs with the PA; call for the Palestinian territories to be designated a "terrorist sanctuary," and eliminating the PLO offices in Washington.


Polls: Peretz's Moroccan roots deter Ashkenazi voters
Two months ago, after he won the Labor Party chairmanship, Amir Peretz declared enthusiastically in his victory speech that the demon of ethnic discrimination had been "disconnected from life support" and "buried." But the demon, as demons are wont, has refused to die. Polls commissioned by Labor show a "drain" of traditional Ashkenazi voters from the party due to an aversion to Peretz's Moroccan origin.