Weekly Audio Report

This week in Palestine – a service of the International Middle East Media Center, IMEMC.org for the week of February 18th to February 24th, 2005.

Weekly Audio Report
February 18 – 24

This week in Palestine – a service of the International Middle East Media Center, IMEMC.org for the week of February 18th to February 24th, 2005.

On Sunday, the Israeli government approved a revised route for the wall, which will annex two large illegal Israeli settlements and parts of the southern Hebron hills region, confiscating another 7% of Palestinian land in the West Bank. At the same meeting, Israel voted to evacuate the illegal settlements in Gaza in July.

Meanwhile, Israeli settlers stepped up violence against Palestinians this week, injuring 11 people. A settler rammed two children with his car near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia. Another woman in Jerusalem was attacked by a settler, who sprayed and unknown substance in her face. Saturday night, Israeli police arrested five settlers in Hebron accused of physically assaulting Palestinians in the old city. A Palestinian eyewitness said that around 100 Israeli settlers verbally and physically attack Palestinian residents of the area after Jewish prayers every Saturday. An Israeli military source also reported that dozens of Palestinian residents in Nablus and Hebron and international peace activists have complained of continuous attacks and harassment by Israeli settlers.

A new Palestinian cabinet took office in Ramallah on Thursday when the Palestinian Legislative Council approved the new government after three successive days of postponing a vote. The cabinet of mostly new faces was described as young, professional technocrats by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Nasser al-Qidwa, a nephew of the late Yasser Arafat, was appointed Palestinian foreign minister in place of Nabil Shaath who becomes deputy prime minister. The new civil affairs minister, Mohammed Dahlan, is expected to play a key a role in negotiations with Israel.

Alam Jarrar, spokesman for the Palestinian National Initiative, spoke with IMEMC about their expectations of the new Palestinian government.

"We need this new cabinet to work on the important issues of poverty and unemployment. We hope that it will improve the economic and social life of the Palestinians, and above all, bring security for the Palestinian people."

Monday, Israel released 500 Palestinian prisoners and detainees as part of a token gesture toward the new Palestinian government. The returning prisoners received a warm welcome from their families, but were reluctant to celebrate because more than 7,500 Palestinians remain in Israeli jails.

Muhaned Abdelhaadi Shaalan returned to his home in Beit Sahour after serving 32 months in Israeli military prison. Shaalan cautioned the Palestinian Authority not to neglect the prisoners' issue.

"The release of the prisoners should be a priority for the Palestinian Authority. It should always be on the agenda during negotiations with Israel. Prisoners should be officially informed of new developments by the Palestinian Authority, not dependent of distorted Israeli media to learn about negations concerning our status. The Israeli media is waging a psychological war against us in prison."

Also this week, the Israeli military killed two Palestinians in Gaza, shot three others Gaza and Nablus, and clubbed three residents of the village of Baqa Al-Sharqiyya, north of Tulkarem. Israeli soldiers erected at least five new checkpoints and roadblocks throughout the West Bank this week, detaining dozens of Palestinians traveling to work or home.

Monday, the Israeli army wounded ten Palestinians during a protest against the wall in the village of Bil'in. Soldiers used rubber coated bullets and tear gas against hundreds of Palestinian, Israeli and international demonstrators.

Finally, some good news, the World Council of Churches governing body encouraged its member churches to consider economic measures against Israel as a way to support peace efforts. The Council stated that it will not participate economically in illegal activities related to the Israeli occupation.

This report has been brought to you by the International Middle East Media Center, IMEMC.org, in Beit Sahour, Palestine.