http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=18836
Palestinian ministry of prisoners' affairs reports that 187 Palestinians have died in Israeli jails
Date: 21 / 01 / 2007 Time: 20:05


Palestinians carry the body of Jamal Saraheen
who died in custody on Tuesday (MaanImages)
Gaza - Ma'an – The Palestinian ministry of prisoners' affairs on Saturday published a report about Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails. The report was prepared by the director of the Palestinian central bureau of statistics, Abdun-Nasir Farawnah. The report stated that with the death of Jamal Saraheen in the Negev prison on Tuesday, the number of Palestinian prisoners who have died in Israeli jails became 187 since the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in 1967.

The ministry of prisoners' affairs added that 43 of those victims had died because of a health deterioration caused by the negligence of Israeli prison officers and physicians.

The report cites three reasons for the death of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails: extrajudicial execution, torture and health deterioration.

50 Palestinian prisoners were assassinated after their release during the first Palestinian intifada.

The report recalled the Israeli killing of prisoners Asaad Sawwa and Bassam Smodi at Ansar 3 prison on August 16, 1988.

The report said that the Israeli Government is the only government in the world which provides legal cover for fatal and illegal torture in its prisons.

At least 10 thousand Palestinian prisoners are currently serving in Israeli jails including women and children. Hundreds of them are detained under the Israeli regulation of "administrative detention," which allows the arrest of Palestinians without charge or trial.

http://www.imemc.org/article/46644
Islamic Movement in Israel: “Israel is still digging under Al Aqsa Mosque”
Sunday January 21, 2007 23:15 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies saed at imemc dot org

The Islamic Movement in Israel, headed by member of Knesset Ibrahim Sarsour, said on Sunday that Israel is still digging and carrying out excavations under the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, which is threatening the foundations of the mosque.

Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem

Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported that Sarsour said that Israel paid a Palestinian vendor $60,000 for his store bordering with the Temple Mount compound on which the mosque is located. Israel denied the report.

Northern branch leader of the Islamic Movement, Sheikh Ra’ed Salah, said that the digging comes “to fulfill Israel’s darkest dream of building a Jewish temple in place of the Al Aqsa mosque”.

Haaretz added that several leaders of the movement said that they will present information about any upcoming digging that Israel intends to carry out under the mosque.

“Excavations referred to by Sarsour were carried out some 100 meters from the Temple Mount and were stopped due to lack of funds”, Haaretz reported, “The excavations, carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority at the behest of a Jewish group on property owned by businessman Aaron Mosovitch, was first revealed by Haaretz about a year ago”.

Israeli archeologists repeatedly claimed that the excavations are horizontal and vertical, and that they advanced to within 60 meters of the mosque.

The archeologists, Haaretz reported, claimed the purpose of the dig was to clear out an old garbage-filled tunnel to determine whether it posed a safety hazard.

Since Israel occupied the East of Jerusalem after the war in 1967, it has carried out several excavations that were deemed dangerous or harmful to the foundations of the Al Aqsa Mosque; the digging included a tunnel under the mosque and excavations close to its foundations.

http://www.imemc.org/article/46643
Solana says he is shocked by settlement growth in occupied West Bank
Sunday January 21, 2007 22:51 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies saed at imemc dot org

Javier Solana, EU Foreign Policy Chief, toured several Arab towns near Jerusalem on Sunday and said that he is shocked by the Israeli settlement growth in the occupied West Bank. He called on Israel to freeze its settlement activities and stop the construction of the Annexation Wall.

Red dopts are locations of settlements in the occupied West Bank

Solana stated that these activities could hinder the Arab-Israeli peace process.

He stated that the Wall is built on Palestinian lands, which the Palestinians want for a future state.

Solana’s visit came as Israel announced that it intends to construct a new settlement neighborhood northeast of Jerusalem.

Recently, the Israeli Peace Now movement reported that the Israeli Ministry of Housing issued tenders in newspapers for the construction of 44 units in the settlement neighborhood northeast of Jerusalem.

Solana visited Abu Dis town, east of Jerusalem and its surroundings, and expressed shock when he saw how the Israeli government extended the settlements and the Annexation Wall in that area.

The expansion of settlements comes in direct violation to the US-backed Road Map peace plan which states that Israel should halt its settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Settler population, according to Israeli records, arrived at 260.000; the number does not include settlers living in illegal settlements outposts.

Solana also said that there is now an opportunity for peace, and that he hopes that Israel and the Palestinians “should not miss this opportunity, and resume that political process that would end the conflict”.

He stated that the Wall Israel is constructing is political and is increasing the suffering of the people.

Solana’s tour in the Middle East included a visit to Egypt, the Palestinian territories, and he is planning to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert before he heads back to Brussels.

http://news.aol.com/strange/story/_a/man-kicked-off-flight-for-bush-bashing-t/n20070122073409990010?cid=936

Updated:2007-01-22 12:06:47
Man Kicked Off Flight for Bush-Bashing T-Shirt
Reuters
CANBERRA (Jan. 22)- An airline passenger barred from a flight for wearing a T-shirt labeling President Bush a terrorist has threatened legal action against Australia's flag carrier Qantas.

Allen Jasson, 55, an Australian IT expert who lives in Britain, was stopped from boarding a London-bound Qantas flight at Melbourne Airport last Friday for wearing what the airline said was an offensive T-shirt.

Airline staff said the T-shirt of Bush with the tagline "World's number 1 terrorist" could have upset other passengers and demanded it be changed for another.

But Jasson, who had earlier traveled on a Qantas domestic flight wearing the Bush T-shirt, said his right to freedom of speech had been infringed by Qantas.

"I am not prepared to go without the T-shirt. I might forfeit the fare, but I have made up my mind that I would rather stand up for the principle of free speech," Jasson told Australian media on Monday, adding he would seek legal advice.

Qantas issued a statement saying comments made verbally or on a T-shirt which had the potential to offend other travelers or threaten the security of aircraft "will not be tolerated."

Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
01/22/07 07:33 ET

http://www.imemc.org/article/46611
Israeli army abducts 17 Palestinian men, one of whom is blind, from several West Bank areas
Thursday January 18, 2007 15:36 by Ghassan Bannoura & Polly Bangoriad - IMEMC & Agencies ghassanb at imemc dot org

Israeli forces invaded cities and villages in the northern, southern and central parts of the West Bank and abducted 17 Palestinian men, one of whom is blind, on Thursday morning.

Ten of those abducted were taken from the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia and the nearby Azoun village when Israeli forces searched and ransacked residents' homes, local sources reported.

Among those abducted from the city were Ra'ed Suwilem, Khaled Araif and Nayif Al Masri; while the army took Mohammad Jameel and two of his brothers, Bilal and Mahir from Azoun village.

All detainees were transported to unknown military detention camps, eyewitnesses reported.

Moreover, four Palestinian men were abducted from Yatta and Tafuha villages near the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Troops stormed and searched residents' homes in the two villages after forcing them outside, and abused some residents, eyewitnesses reported.
Among those abducted were Mohammad Awad, and Ashraf Al Khamaissa.

Also on Thursday morning, Mohamed Al Imori, 23, was taken from his house in Jenin refugee camp located in the northern West Bank city of Jenin. Residents stated that soldiers fired tear gas and sound bombs at their houses during the invasion of the refugee camp.

In the meantime, in the central West Bank, the Israeli army took prisoner two residents from Al Aizariah town near Jerusalem city.

Residents reported that at least 20 armored vehicles entered the town, forced people to leave their houses, and then abducted two men after hitting them with rifle buts and batons.

The two were identified as; Sami Al Assmar, 30, and Ra'ed Fayiz, 28. Their families reported that during the abduction troops also assaulted family members, including women.