News: More Settler Violence; Lieberman Misses U.S. Visits

Settlers Continue Assults on Palestinians

On Tuesday, Israeli settlers in the West Bank continued--for the second day in a row--attacking Palestinian olive groves and cars. The Ma'an News Agency reported that Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member Walid Assaf was driving in his car to Qalqiliya when settlers stoned his car from an overhead Israeli bypass road.

After breaking his windshield, the settlers fled into Israel, escaping any punishment for their actions. PLC member Assaf tried to file a complaint with nearby soldiers, but was no action could be taken against the unidentified settlers without submission of an official complain to the Civil Administration.

In a separate event in the West Bank, settlers burned down forty olive trees in a rampage near the Palestinian village of Burin. Ha'aretz attributes the violence in recent days to the forced evacuation of illegal settler outposts in the West Bank. Of the suspected thirty settlers involved in the attacks, only one was arrested by Israeli authorities while two Palestinians were injured in the attacks. Also, altercations erupted between Israeli authorities and settlers in the West Bank settlement of Bay Ayin when the IDF attempted to arrest a settler.

Lieberman Out of the Country During Visits to Israel by Key U.S. Leaders

When U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell arrive in Tel Aviv next week for talks with the government, Israeli Foreign Minister Avagor Lieberman will be in Latin America reaching out to previously neglected diplomatic circles. Lieberman has taken stepped back from the peace negotiations in recent weeks because he believes being a settler himself is "clearly a conflict of interest."

The AFP reports that Lieberman, now in Brazil, is courting Latin American leaders in an attempt to dissuade growing regional support for Iran. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has ties with Iran and did not recently speak out against the disputed elections in Iran; however, the president does wish to involve himself in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations to demonstrate Brazil's ability to serve as a permanent member in the U.N. Security Council.

HEADLINES

Lebanon boosts forces near Israel border, fearing IDF fire (Ha'aretz)

Israel to evacuate all outposts in a day: report (Washington Post)

Israel to declare Dead Sea shore state land: Peace Now (AFP)

Palestinian killed on Gaza border (BBC)

Poll: Palestinians support peace, believe Mash'al does too (Ma'an)

Palestine and the Palestinians

Gaza Fatah leaders fear Hamas ban on joining General Assembly (Xinhua)

Palestinians mock 'bad taste' ad (BBC)

Israel Army Destroys House 500 Meters Inside Gaza - Witnesses (Nasdaq)

Khreisha: Dweik no longer PLC speaker (Ma'an)

Israel

Israeli police press new case against ex-PM Olmert (AFP)

Israeli official: US should honor past deals (AP)

Officer handed prison sentence in case of IDF misfire (Ynet)

'Israel holding money that could save Jewish schools in FSU' (Jerusalem Post)

Israeli PM's son joins army (UPI)

Ghanaian man forced to leave Israel after 26 years (Ha'aretz)

Settlements depend heavily on Israel funds: study (Reuters)

'Israel has indisputable right to build in East Jerusalem' (Ha'aretz)

Project promotes Israeli Palestinian software cooperation (Globes)

The Neighbors

Israel to Lebanon: stop border violations (AP)

Lebanon uncovers terror plot against UN troops (Ha'aretz)

Lebanon detains 10 for 'UN plot' (BBC)

Israel: UNIFIL assisted illegal crossing (Jerusalem Post)

Over 66,000 illegals arrested in major Saudi crackdown (Gulf News)

US Foreign Policy

Evangelicals back Israel in Washington (Jerusalem Post)

Gates Says U.S. Army’s Size Will Grow by 22,000 (New York Times)

Mitchell denies claim by former Bush official he plans to retire (Foreign Policy)

Abrams: Obama's policy may hurt both Israel, PA (Ynet)

U.S. eyes Syrian, Palestinian tracks (Jewish Telegraph Agency)

Guantanamo's stateless losing hope (Al Jazeera)

International Relations/Law

Ahmadinejad's choice insists on serving as Iran VP (AFP)

Russia, France up pressure to halt e. J'lem construction (Jerusalem Post)

Palestinians stuck near Iraq to move to Slovakia-UN (Reuters)

'Erekat wanted Mottaki's help on Hamas'Report Brazil official calls Israeli FM 'fascist' (AP)

Iran Turmoil May Cost Hezbollah, Hamas Amid Retreat (Bloomberg)

Arts and Activism

Ali Jabri retrospective: a life recorded in sketchbooks (Electronic Intifada)

Boycott apartheid: student delegation to Palestine (Electronic Intifada)

Misc.

Fugitive in Pa. jail after 20 months in Israel (AP)

Israeli museum displays rare clocks stolen in 1983 (AP)

Esperanto celebrates power of hope (BBC)

UAE Blackberry update was spyware (BBC)

Commentary

Cohen: Israel's war with itself (LA Times)

Burston: The painful cost to Israel of its settler adventure (Ha'aretz)

Cook: Israel's internet war (Counterpunch)

Water Grab in the West Bank (Washington Post)

Avnery: Breaking the silence on Israeli war crimes (Counterpunch)

Baroud: Gaza and the language of power (Ma'an News)

Dhansay: Why is South Africa still helping apartheid Israel? (Electronic Intifada)

Abrams: An Unworkable Compromise (National Review)

Walker: Overcoming speechlessness (Ma'an News)

Views expressed on this post or on linked web pages do not represent the Palestine Center, the educational program of the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development. All content is for educational purposes only.

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