by Jon Elmer
The New Standard
Situated on a hill overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem, the new Israeli housing development looks like it could be an upscale planned community in suburban North America: a billboard solicits buyers for “phase one” housing units; another shows the blueprint of the future community, complete with a daycare, a shopping center, a school, parks, a country club and, eventually, a hotel.
Read the rest right here.
by Ilan Pappe
There is an amazing gap between the global discourse on the Gaza Disengagement Plan of the Sharon government and the local realities on the ground. Whereas the Israeli pullout is being portrayed in international public fora as an historic decision, which offers a rare opportunity for peace in the area, local observers – especially in Palestine – warn that the plan is not likely to advance the peace process; in fact, it is seen as a deliberate attempt by the Israelis to obstruct any future progress towards an acceptable solution.
Read the rest at MIFTA.
by K. Flo Razowsky
Originally in The Minneapolis Star Tribune
According to the international media, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip is an unprecedented move toward peace. The situation on the ground demands further inspection.
Daily, new settlements are under construction in the West Bank, existing ones are being expanded and Israel’s Wall is being built. The village of Bil’in, in the western Ramallah region, is losing more than 52 percent of its land to this type of new construction. This style of settlement growth directly contradicts President Bush’s road map. Similarly, during the Oslo period, Israel expanded … Continue reading
An International Solidarity Movement Fact sheet
With the deluge of coverage about Israel’s “disengagement” from Gaza, it’s easy to be lulled into the idea that the “road map” to peace in the region is moving ahead and that the occupation is nearing some sort of conclusion. It’s important to keep in mind the information offered in this fact sheet.
Gaza Disengagement Intended to Freeze Peace Process: According to an October, 2004 Ha’aretz Daily interview with Dov Weisglass, senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, “the significance of the disengagement plan is the freezing of the peace process…. Effectively, this whole … Continue reading
A group of women from the Falls Road, Women’s Centre in Belfast, Ireland, today joined the International Women’s Peace Service in a demonstration against the expansion of settlements in Palestine’s West Bank.
About 60 women, many from an international organization called Women in Black, protested outside the Ariel Settlement, the largest of the illegal settlements in the West Bank. They were … Continue reading
Settlers on Wednesday from the illegal Israeli settlement of Sanur near Jenin — due to be evacuated as part of Israel’s “disengagement” plan — attempted to launch an assault on the Palestinian village of Assa’sa, clashing with the Israeli soldiers engaged in the evacuation. The clashes were witnessed by volunteers from the International Solidarity Movement.
Around 6 p.m., a group of about 50 settlers came out onto the road to Assa’sa, and began blocking Palestinian cars. About 10 minutes later, an Israeli army jeep arrived and soldiers told settlers to leave, setting up a checkpoint to allow Palestinian cars to … Continue reading
by Lee
Al-Asa’asa is a village of 500 situated right next to the settlement of SaNur. Radical anti disengagement settlers from all over the West Bank, many from Hebron, have camped out at SaNur, surrounding the small military settlement with tents.
Worry and anxiety about what these 280 settlers are planning to do is growing in al Asa’asa as disengagement approaches. The settlers are committed to not leaving the land, even though the settlement of SaNur is scheduled to be removed as part of Israel’s disengagement plan. Settlers are threatening to occupy houses in al-Asa’asa. If the housing … Continue reading
by Khaled Nasrallah
If you asked me about the withdraw from Gaza, I would tell you that sure, it’s a step ahead. That is, if it really is something that is a start toward real peace. Is it? Real peace is something we’ve not yet seen. We are tired of the images on television depicting this current unreal peace, which is not connected to the daily life of people here.
We also are tired of peace plans which are created only with the benefit of one party in mind, instead of both parties.
We still need a real peace plan. We need a … Continue reading
by the Palestine Center staff
It is difficult to imagine a situation more terrifying and bleak. Isolated and without any means to determine their own destiny, Palestinians will soon be forced to live their lives as prisoners in a cell. The jail keeper: Israel.
Read the rest at The Council for National Interest site
