Beautiful. Brandon Davis in the Daily Princetonian. And yes he identified as a Jew to write this piece. They wouldn't a run it if he didn't. But: Young Jews get this. They understand why I say that Palestinian statelessness is an American Jewish achievement, of 60 years standing. The young un's are going to save American Jews from the incredible selfishness of the Israel lobby generation. Davis is a sophomore. You go, dude:

just as it is fair to criticize Israeli policies, it is fair to criticize its apologists — groups that claim to represent the entire American Jewish community. American Jews have traditionally been at the forefront of progressive movements. But in recent years, American Jewish institutions have trended toward the ugly side of Zionism, defending — or at least apologizing for — the Israeli hard right in its continuation of the occupation of the West Bank and repression of Palestinian identity. The undeniable injustices of the Israeli government and military warrant criticism; silence in the face of these injustices warrants criticism as well.

It is time for American Jews to stand up against oppression, violence and religious fundamentalism. The tribalism that has persuaded the Jewish people to categorically stand up for Israel for so many years is foolish and outdated. The occupation of the West Bank is wrong. The blockade of Gaza is wrong. The displacement of Palestinian villages is wrong. The continued construction of settlements is wrong. And American Jews have enabled all of it. It’s about time a Jew stood up and said so.

and other news from Today in Palestine:

Ethnic cleansing / Deportation / Discrimination

Lawmakers facing expulsion mark 100th day of protest
Three lawmakers threatened with expulsion from Jerusalem marked their 100th day of protest at sit-in at the International Committee for the Red Cross headquarters on Friday. Israeli authorities issued deportation orders in April for former Jerusalem affairs' minister Khaled Abu Arafah and two other Palestinian Legislative Council members, Ahmad Atoun and Muhammad Totah, who were all voted into public office with the Hamas bloc. Israel's Interior Ministry issued the decision on the basis of the officials' political affiliation.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322122

Deportation of Palestinians with Gaza ID continues
JERUSALEM: When 31-year-old Farid Sha'aban was driving with his friend near the Israeli city of Beer Sheva in late October 2008, he could not imagine how drastically his life was about to change. “The police stopped us. They came right at me, handcuffed me, and drove me directly to the Gaza Strip,” Sha'aban told The Media Line ... Israeli government officials claim that less than 100 Palestinians have been deported from the West Bank to Gaza during 2008 and 2009, but Sari Bashi says this figure represents only a tiny fraction of the deportees. “Most people are deported to Gaza from Israel, or after being arrested for questioning, detention, or following conviction,” she said.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article156900.ece?comments=all

Israel: Grant status long denied to Arab village in central Israel
Discriminatory Planning Procedures Prevent Access to Basic Services; Court to Rule on Demolition Orders -- (Jerusalem) - The Israeli government should grant legal status to a 60-year-old village with a population of about 600 Palestinian-Israeli citizens, Human Rights Watch said today. Authorities have refused to recognize the village as residential, even as they approved an immediately adjacent residential development for Jewish Israelis. The authorities have given no justification for the difference in treatment.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/10/08/israel-grant-status-long-denied-arab-village-central-israel

Land and property theft and destruction / Activism / Solidarity / Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions

(roundup) West Bank protests mark olive harvest
Israeli forces detained two Palestinian teenagers picking olives near Hebron on Friday as weekly anti-wall protests across the West Bank marked the start of the olive harvesting season. In a weekly anti-wall demonstration in An-Nabi Salih, west of Ramallah, locals said one man was hospitalized after being hit in the chest by a live bullet. He was taken to Yasser Arafat hospital in Salfit, where medics said his condition was serious....
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322176

Gaza olive harvest begins in the Beit Hanoun buffer zone while strawberry picker in Beit Lahiya is shot by Israeli snipers
Unbeknown to the olive pickers, nearby in the North of Gaza in Beit Lahiya a farm worker in the Siafa area 27 year old Zeyad Mohammed Tambora now and then worked for a farmer in Siafa area, had just finished picking strawberries when suddenly with no warning his right foot was hit by a bullet. He was carried back by his 2 cousins from the farmland at about 300 meter from the fence and they escorted him to a waiting car on a donkey cart. Arriving at hospital Tuesday at about 10.00 AM Zeyad then underwent surgery to stop the bleeding. The bones in his foot are smashed and according to doctors he might have problems to walk for the rest of his life and he is not expected to be walking for a few months.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/10/14854/

8 detained at anti-settlement rally
Three foreign nationals and one Israeli activist were among those detained at the weekly demonstration in Beit Ummar, protesting the confiscation of village land to build the illegal Karmei Tsur settlement, protest organizers said. The Palestine Solidarity Project said forces also detained locals Khalil Abu Maria, 20, Husien Dhehda Hasen Sleibi,18, Zeid Mohammad Isa Awas ,28, and a fourth resident who was not identified. In a statement, the PSP said soldiers held down an Israeli activist and sprayed pepper spray directly into her eyes before detaining her.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322430

PA official: Settlers attack farmers in north
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers while they were harvesting olives in the northern West Bank village of Burin south of Nablus Saturday morning, a Palestinian official told Ma’an ... Doughlas said the settlers arrived from an illegal settlement outpost near Bracha settlement, and that they damaged several olive trees before Palestinian residents intervened forcing them to leave. No injuries were reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322234

Extremist Jews damage Palestinian olive trees (AP)
IRAQ BURIN, West Bank – Extremist Jews ripped off branches and cut the roots of Palestinian olive trees in the West Bank village of Burin, residents said Saturday, as the yearly harvest of the important crop begins. The attack came at the beginning of the 45-day Palestinian olive harvest. It's traditionally a time of heightened violence, as a minority of extremist Jews tries to provoke Palestinians.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101009/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

Zionist settlers damage olive trees using chemicals
RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- Zionist settlers destroyed tens of fruitful olive trees in Al-Mughir town, northeast of Ramallah, on Friday after spraying them with a chemical material. Local sources said that the settlers spoiled 55 olive trees using a white chemical material unknown to locals, adding that the material dries the trees and slowly kills them. They noted that farmers could not reach the area, which is adjacent to a Zionist settlement, fearing attacks by those settlers. In another location, Zionist settlers attacked tents pitched by shepherds in the Jordan Valley and damaged drinking water ponds for cattle, witnesses reported.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s75Ew1880Z36POVlbF9wIgo8hs6w2pPO0%2fZbik1bQpWZDTzF%2bu8rcsuKE2Bo%2fOUMVfWvVd094NefOAkn2%2fC39OAHWYY1ClKfQiLQbLmVpZF5s%3d

A perfect day ruined / Stella
Once we arrived at the family’s olive trees, Mahmud’s wife began singing Palestinian folk songs. In any other world this would have been a perfect day with good food and happy people enjoying each other's company while they worked. But this is not that world. This is occupied Palestine .A military jeep pulled up close to Mahmud’s land and two soldiers approached us. They said we could not stay there without permission from the District Coordination Office (DCO). We explained that it is nonsense for Mahmud’s family to be forced to ask "permission" to farm land that he legally owns.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/10/14836/

Dundee men's next Gaza aid mission to go by road
Two Dundee activists will set off on an aid mission to Gaza this weekend after a deadly raid ended the last attempt, The Courier can exclusively reveal. Ali El-Awaisi (21) was on the Mavi Marmara, part of a flotilla attempting to run the blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, when Israeli troops boarded the ship and killed nine passengers. However, both he and his friend Waseem Mughal (25) will enter the country by road under the Road To Hope banner
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee/article/6085/dundee-men-s-next-gaza-aid-mission-to-go-by-road.html

#BDS: Boycott Starbucks at Bradford College!
Bradford College has put up signs to say that Starbucks Coffee will be coming to their campus soon. This is unacceptable and we must all make a united effort to either halt the plans completely, or at the very least encourage students and staff to boycott its products.
http://youthanormalization.blogspot.com/2010/10/bds-guest-post-boycott-starbucks-at.html#comments

Bristol volunteers set off on Gaza aid convoy
9 Oct - Members of the Bristol Gaza Link leave the city today to take essential supplies across to the country. The organisation is joining up the Road To Hope convoy which leaves London tomorrow.They will be driving through Europe and crossing over by ferry to Tripoli in Libya before travelling via Egypt to Gaza, arriving at the end of October ... The team leaving today includes Ebrahim Musaji who along with Sakir Yildirim and Cliff Hanley from Bristol, was on-board the Mavi Marmara in May which was raided by Israeli forces.
http://www.jackbristol.com/newscentre/bristols-news/bristol-volunteers-set-off-on-gaza-aid-convoy-4974

New Libyan aid convoy to head for Gaza
TRIPOLI, (PIC)-- A new Libyan aid convoy dubbed Quds-5 is finalizing preparations to head for the Gaza Strip carrying relief material, a media source in Gaza revealed. The source in the Gaza-based government committee to break the siege quoted Libyan sources as saying that aid convoys from Europe and North Africa would start arriving in Libya on Sunday.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7MH%2fxcDGC8mcvonLaroQM7J%2fgg3%2bSFtcGUq%2fNtFOl2HBlff3vDcjny0%2bfACsFdeD%2b1wpQQ6hKh6BwkhK60hf%2bBXYugBmgIpBOIORQvlbI4tA%3d

Jazza music festival 12 & 13 October 2010
@ THE SCALA 275 Pentonville Road, London -- The live concert on both dates will feature Cleveland Watkiss - vocals, the Orient House Ensamble and the Sigamos String Quartet with special guest Shadia Mansour ... Jazza Music Festival is organized in association with the Free Palestine Movement, leading advocates for the humanitarian rights of Palestinians and the right of free access throughout Palestine.
http://jazzaproductions.squarespace.com/events/

Gaza flotilla attack: calls for international criminal court to step in
...The international criminal court is being urged to prosecute members of the Israeli defence force for the raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship. Turkish victims have formally requested an investigation, the Guardian has learned. Lawyers acting for Turkish citizens injured or killed when Israel intercepted the flotilla in May have written to Luis Moreno Ocampo, the court's prosecutor, claiming there is an "overwhelming" case for prosecution.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/08/israel-aid-flotilla-raid-calls

Proceedings of Rachel Corrie trial on October 7, 2010
from Dorothy Naor: The depiction below of yesterday’s proceedings at the trial are accurate.  I and my spouse (Israel) can affirm this because we were there the entire day.  The first witness claimed not to have remembered at almost every question that the Corrie’s lawyers asked.  The second witness appears to be entirely incompetent for his position as head of the investigation department, as is evident below from his responses. Israeli soldiers to testify behind screen in Corrie case
http://groups.google.com/group/newprofile/browse_thread/thread/4b7d8b058dc2e26b

Military investigator testifies in Rachel Corrie trial
...Head of the Military Police Special Investigative Unit Shalom Michaeli testified at Haifa District Court that he could have gone to the site of Rachel's killing in an armored vehicle but had chosen not to because it was dangerous and the terrain had changed, a statement from the foundation said. Michaeli further said he ordered only a partial transcript of radio transmissions because he did not think it important to transcribe the full audio. A video recording of the incident revealed that the camera operator panned away from the scene minutes before Corrie was killed, but Michaeli said he had not thought it relevant to question the operator, the foundation said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322150

The cycle of violence continues

A. Settler violence

Video shows settler leader run[ning] over Palestinian children
An Israeli settler deliberately ran down two Palestinian children on a road in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem on Friday, witnesses said. A video of the incident from the Al Jazeera news network shows an Israeli-plated car swerve towards the children, one of whom is thrown over the windscreen. The car then drives off ... The Israeli news site Ynet identified the driver as David Be'eri, who heads settler organization Elad, an organization which collects donations to "discreetly purchase property for Jews in Silwan," the site said. Be'eri was questioned by police and released on bail, the report added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322140

Israeli settler hits two Palestinian children with his car in Jerusalem
Eyewitnesses reported that after the Friday prayer at the Silwan protest tent, clashes erupted between Israeli settlers and Palestinian youth. According to the witnesses report, head of Elad settler organization, David Be'eri, deliberately hit the two children with his car and fled the scene. Israeli sources on the other hand stated that the two kids were hurling stones at Be'eri before he rammed them with his car. The two children were identified as Imran Mansour, 11 and Eyad Gheith 10, and were taken to Al-Maqased hospital for treatment. Their wounds were described as moderate.
http://imemc.org/article/59574

Settler version:
Settler leader runs over stone throwers
..."David [Be'eri] left his home together with his son and began driving when suddenly he was attacked by dozens of masked men who began to throw stones from every direction," his associates said in comments to the press."He tried to escape, first by driving in reverse, but the vehicle behind him blocked his path. It must be understood that he an ambush was prepared for him, which included cameras brought to the scene ahead of time."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3966413,00.html

Eyewitness: Palestinian youth run down
This AFP photo shows how young the children are, hardly 'men' as Be'eri described them
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/picture/2010/oct/09/israel-palestinian-clashes

Israeli settlers attack family in Jerusalem
Jerusalem, October 9, (Pal Telegraph) Five Jerusalemites were injured Friday night, following an attack by Israeli settlers on them [again] in the “Saadia” area in the Old City of Jerusalem. According to witnesses, a group of Israeli settlers attacked last night the family of “Qirsh” in the Old City in Jerusalem, where they overwhelmed the family with tear gas, injuring: Mazen Qirsh, and his wife Basma "38 years" and were immediately taken to the hospital. Thaer, Tamer, Mazen and Dana (all from Qirsh Family) were also injured during the Israeli settlers attack on the family. Mazen reported that, "The Israeli settlers were escorted by the police during their attack on us, who did nothing to prevent them from implementing their attacks”.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/eng/palestine/west-bank/7224-Israeli-settlers-attack-family-in-Jerusalem.html

Woman dies of heart attack sustained in Silwan shooting
A Palestinian woman in her fifties died on Friday of a heart attack sustained two weeks ago following the Silwan shooting in East Jerusalem. Haniyeh Auda suffered a heart attack when an Israeli settler guard opened fire at her son-in-law Samer Sarhan, who was mortally wounded by the shooting. Auda was transferred to hospital following the shooting where she died on Friday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322037

Locals report Palestinian shot by settlers in Hebron
Two Palestinians were injured near Hebron Friday, witnesses said. Locals reported that an Israeli resident of an illegal settlement north of Hebron fired live ammunition at Ibrahim Muhammad Sharif Basal. In a separate incident, Salem Nabil Abu Quedar was injured when he was hit in the face by a sound grenade thrown by Israeli forces, residents said. Both men were hospitalized, but medics said their conditions were stable.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322110

B. Extra-judicial killings

2 Al-Qassam leaders killed in Hebron raid
HEBRON (Fri noon) -- Two leaders of Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, were killed overnight Friday in Hebron during an Israeli army raid in the Jabal Johar village's Abu Sneineh neighborhood, witnesses told Ma'an. The two killed were identified as Nashat Al-Karmi, a senior military commander and Maamoun Al-Natsha, local Hebron commander ... Witnesses further said Israeli troops raided the area and confiscated cameras from journalists at the scene ... Israeli bulldozers were seen demolishing a three-story home in search of "wanted" Palestinians in hiding, witnesses said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=321984

Report: 'Two Palestinians killed, ten wounded during Israeli invasion of Hebron'
Fri a.m. -- Palestinian medical sources in the southern West Bank city of Hebron reported Friday morning that two Palestinians were killed and ten others were wounded after the army invaded the city, surrounded a house of a resistance fighter and fired mortars at it. Shortly after midnight, at least 40 military vehicles and armored bulldozers invaded Jawhar Mountain in Hebron while several army choppers fired flares . Troops then surrounded a three-story home and started demolishing it.
http://imemc.org/article/59567

Al-Qassam vows revenge over Hebron killings
Hamas' military wing the Al-Qassam Brigades vowed Friday that it would respond to the killing of two senior commanders during an Israeli raid in Hebron. Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Ubaidah said the militia would "reply in a suitable way to such a crime,"
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322044

Fatah armed wing promises response to Hebron killings
Fatah's armed wing the Al-Aqsa Brigades said Friday that their response to the killings of two Palestinians in Hebron was "only a matter of time." ... In a statement, the Al-Aqsa Brigades cited the men as "friends" of the armed wing of Fatah, and said the two groups had participated in joint missions in the West Bank during the Second Intifada. The Al-Aqsa Brigades said their response to the assassinations would be "quick and strong" and would equate the sacrifices of the two leaders.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322091

Demonstrations in Gaza over Hebron killings
...After noon prayers, hundreds of Hamas leaders and affiliates took to the streets, calling on the Al-Qassam Brigades and other armed groups to respond to the assassinations. An Israeli military statement said forces intended to arrest the men, but during the raid one suspect opened fire, and was killed by return fire, while a second suspect was killed when "forces employed engineering tools [bulldozers?]," to make him leave the building he was hiding in, after he refused to surrender.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322115

Brother of killed leader says Israel offered exile
Nashat Al-Karmi, killed by Israeli forces overnight in Hebron, refused an offer by Israeli authorities to be exiled for five years, his brother said Friday. Bashar Na'em Al-Karmi said the proposal was made to his brother one month ago, but that Nashat refused because he "did not give up easily."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322116

Siege / Restriction of movement / Human rights

Olympics chief concludes regional tour
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge concluded his visit to the region Friday after holding "very constructive" talks with the Israeli president, Shimon Peres. Concerns over the free movement of Palestinian athletes and officials were raised in the meetings. Peres offered "his constructive cooperation" to find solutions, the committee said in a statement. Rogge also met with members of the Israeli Olympics committee including its president, Zvi Varshaviak. Since the meetings, the international committee has announced that representatives of the Palestinian and Israeli committees will meet in Switzerland later this year to tackle the issue of travel restrictions.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322247

Easing of blockade not enough to rebuild Gaza (AP)
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel's decision to allow some construction material into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip is barely making a dent in alleviating a crushing housing shortage in the impoverished Palestinian territory. A few dozen stalled international reconstruction projects — from sewage plants to wells and community centers — are beginning to move forward four months after Israel eased its Gaza blockade under international pressure. But one of the most pressing needs in the remains unmet: Economists and aid officials say thousands of homes destroyed in Israeli military offensives cannot be rebuilt because Israel continues to prevent most imports of cement and steel.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOe8-cl2Hiy5MEOrtMp4IkgDTs2gD9INNPMO0?docId=D9INNPMO0

Dubai medics on mission to Gaza
A Dubai-based medical charity is facing its toughest challenge yet as its doctors and nurses cope with power cuts and defective equipment during a humanitarian mission in Gaza. A team of seven medical professionals from the UAE and several other countries have spent the past five days treating sick children at the Gaza European Hospital. The medics, four of whom are based in Dubai, have performed 16 "very complicated" surgeries and screened more than 70 children
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/health/dubai-medics-on-mission-to-gaza

Israel closes Gaza crossings for weekend
Israeli authorities closed down the two goods crossings into Gaza for the Israeli weekend, a Palestinian Authority crossings officials told Ma'an on Friday. Raed Fattouh said the closure was "usual" and that crossings would be reopened for the transfer of goods on Sunday. On Thursday, Israel allowed 160 trucks into Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south, in addition to fuel and cooking gas.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=321993

3,500 pass through Rafah crossing
Border administrators said 1651 Palestinians returned to Gaza, most of whom were patients who had received treatment in Egyptian hospitals, whilst 1821 left Gaza through the terminal. Officials said 276 Palestinians were refused permission to cross ... Crossings officials said the Erez pedestrian crossing between northern Gaza and Israel was partially open during the week, recording the exit of 941 individuals from Gaza, including 652 residents, 245 foreign nationals, and 44 Palestinians with Israeli citizenship....
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322417

'Peace talks' / Political developments

Arab League backs Abbas over talks
Arab League leaders say they support the Palestinians' decision to stop direct talks with Israel unless the Israelis agree to halt all settlement construction in the West Bank. But the ministers, who held preliminary talks on Friday in Libya, also said in a statement after the meeting that they will give the US another month to find a way to break the impasse. The decision represents a compromise as the US struggles to prevent a total collapse of direct negotiations between the two sides that began last month.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/2010108162020226451.html

US welcomes Arab League's show of support
Washington officials pleased with Arab League's statement allotting United States with one month to pressure Israel into halting settlement construction, returning parties to negotiating table
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3966538,00.html

Egypt FM says Arabs wary of war to free Gaza
Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu Al-Gheit of Egypt asserted Saturday that “radical solutions such as mobilizing armies and declaring war are not being considered” to free Gaza of its blockade ... Abu Al-Gheit was quoted by Egyptian media outlets Saturday, after the Arab League follow-up committee ended its emergency meeting in Sirte, Libya
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322251

Abbas may circumvent Israel, ask US to recognize Palestinian state (Reuters)
Unilateral declaration considered if peace talks with Israel remain in limbo, though previous pronouncements have been received coolly.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/abbas-may-circumvent-israel-ask-u-s-to-recognize-palestinian-state-1.318005?localLinksEnabled=false

Source: Abbas hints at resigning if talks fail
The source said Abbas hinted at resigning from his post if peace talks with Israel failed during a meeting of the Palestinian National Council of Amman, which he attended before heading to Libya for the session ... On Thursday, Palestinian negotiations team member Nabil Sha'ath said Abbas would be resigning but did not detail when the president would step down.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322010

Abbas hints [of] dismantling PA if peace talks fail
During a Friday night meeting with the Arab Follow-up Committee in Sirt Libyan city, Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, cast doubts on the future of the Palestinian Authority should peace talks fail to lead to a Palestinian State ... Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Palestinian official told France Press that Abbas presented a number of alternatives for the Palestinian State should peace talks with Israel fail to achieve this goal due to the ongoing construction of settlements.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59579

Fatah: Assassinations aim to destroy talks
Fatah Revolutionary Council member Jamal Nazzal said the killing of two Hamas militants by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Friday was an attempt to drag Palestinians into a cycle of violence. He referred to what he called former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's equation, that violence plus violence equaled liberation from peace talks.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322185

Fayyad: Killing Palestinians will not lead to peace
Ramallah-based Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the assassinations of two Palestinians by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Friday undermined the Palestinian Authority, and would not lead to peace. Fayyad condemned the killings in Hebron "whatever the excuses or names were," and said peace would not be achieved by the killing of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers. He said his government strongly denounced the Israel army's use of violence.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322087

Gaza leaders say airstrikes aimed at thwarting talks
Several Gaza leaders believe Israel's recent increase in aerial strikes against the Gaza Strip aim at derailing both peace and Palestinian unity talks, and to prompt a response from factions.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322029

Hamas says halting negotiations insufficient
...Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement to the Saturday that "what is needed is to completely stop negotiations rather than suspending them or subordinating them to the US stance." He explained that "giving the US administration another opportunity would be useless and could only encourage them to exert more pressure on the Palestinian and Arab side as they continue with their indefinite military and political support to Israeli occupation."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322319

Hamas tells PA to 'unleash West Bank resistance'
Hamas has called on the Palestinian Authority to "unleash the resistance in the West Bank" by releasing political prisoners from jail and ending security coordination with Israel, a spokesman said.  Sami Abu Zuhri said "Israel's continued offenses and invasions in Hebron come within the context of escalating Israeli crimes and attacks," following the killing of two Al-Qassam Brigades leaders on Friday, a statement read. "This attack comes with talks that the occupation is using as a cover to continue these crimes," the spokesman said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322049

OECD chief warns Jerusalem conference could be canceled
Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), sent a harsh letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that due to comments made by Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov (Yisrael Beitenu),  the decision to hold a tourism conference in Jerusalem could be hindered. Misezhnikov said in an interview with Haaretz on Monday that although some countries have cancelled their participation in the OECD conference to be held in Jerusalem later this month, the fact that most countries have not cancelled their participation is a show of support for Israel's territorial claims in Jerusalem.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/oecd-chief-warns-jerusalem-conference-could-be-canceled-1.318024?localLinksEnabled=false

Livni: Resume settlement freeze
Opposition leader Tzipi Livni told Channel 2's "Meet the Press" Saturday Israel should declare a new construction moratorium in the West Bank if that is US President Barack Obama's only request ...   "For me, a moratorium has nothing to do with ideology. What are a few buildings compared with the people's desire for peace?" she told "Meet the Press".Livni said she told the PM he must make every effort to prevent the peace talks from collapsing.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3966699,00.html

Other news

3 women set out to improve Israel's image even in the Arab media
Israel's image may not be at its best at the moment, but the pro-Israeli scene in the U.S. is quite lively. One of the most interesting pro-Israeli organizations currently operating in the U.S. is "The Israel Project”, which was launched in 2002 by only three women - Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Margo Volftsun and Sheryl Schwartz, who have taken upon themselves the daunting task of improving Israel's image in the foreign media. [Good luck with that....]
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/3-women-set-out-to-improve-israel-s-image-even-in-the-arab-media-1.318015?localLinksEnabled=false

Israel orders stealth fighter jets
Up to 20 radar-evading Joint Strike Fighter jets worth $2.75bn to be delivered by US firm from 2015 through 2017.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/20101081213299155.html

Israel-US fighter jet deal threatens Mideast: Syria
..."We are told that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu will announce a two-month freeze on settlements, provided this issue is not raised again, and obtain in exchange a deal for very sophisticated arms," he said. "The question is no longer a two-month settlement freeze, but rather a threat to Arab security."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101008/wl_mideast_afp/usisraelmideastweaponsindustrysyria

Israel may seek PA cooperation on would-be UNESCO heritage
The Israel World Heritage Committee is recommending that the terraced fields in the Judean hills be classified as protected UNESCO heritage sites - a project that Israeli preservationists hope will lead to cooperation with the Palestinian Authority to protect ancient agricultural land on both sides of the Green Line ... many of the areas are under threat of being paved over to build homes or infrastructure. Near the West Bank village of Walaja, an area rich in terraced fields, work has already begun on a section of the West Bank separation fence.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-may-seek-pa-cooperation-on-would-be-unesco-heritage-site-1.317789?localLinksEnabled=false

Hamas denies receiving letters from Shalit family
Hamas denied on Saturday news reports claiming that the Islamic movement has received letters from the family of a captive Israeli soldier. Hamas leader Isma’il Radwan told reporters that there was nothing new to report on the prospects of a prisoner exchange. "The occupation is trying to provoke reactions in this regard after its failure to discover anything by military force or intelligence. They try to find other ways to get information," Radwan said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322392

Hamas denies reports that Israel rescued collaborator
Hamas' military wing on Friday denied media reports that the group uncovered a senior member sharing intelligence with Israel. An Egyptian newspaper said Thursday that the Al-Qassam Brigades discovered an affiliate was supplying intelligence to help Israel locate captured soldier Gilad Shalit.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322181

An act of quiet defiance where wine is the most wicked thing
Since the militant Islamic movement Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, enjoying a drink in this tiny Palestinian enclave of 1.5 million people has become a high-risk pursuit ... Determined that he would not be made to give up drinking wine, Mohammed decided in 2007 that instead of paying a small fortune to buy it on the black market he would try making his own.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/an-act-of-quiet-defiance-where-wine-is-the-most-wicked-thing-20101008-16c0i.html

Video: Dead Sea to be topped up by Red Sea water
Water levels in the Dead Sea are falling sharply and farms and businesses along its shore are suffering. Lying in Jordan's Rift Valley, it is the world's saltiest sea and authorities have come up with an ambitious plan to pump water - through a pipeline from the Red Sea - to top it up. But as always with water in the Middle East, it is a contentious issue, as Ben Thompson reports.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11506534

African migrant injured by Egyptian forces
EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) -- Egyptian police shot and injured an African migrant on Saturday as he and another migrant were spotted trying to cross illegally into Israel through southern Gaza's Kerem Shalom crossing.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322273

Media

A typically cautious article from the Boston Globe (owned by the NY Times) about what seems to be a dual loyalty case:
Akamai employee charged with fraud
By Hiawatha Bray. An employee of Cambridge Internet company Akamai Technologies Inc. was arrested yesterday and charged with wire fraud after allegedly trying to sell confidential information about the firm to a foreign government, according to the US attorney’s office ... The complaint claims that in June 2006, Doxer sent an e-mail message to the Boston consulate of a foreign country listed in the complaint only as “Country X.’’“I am a Jewish American who lives in Boston,’’ he allegedly wrote ... While Doxer said he was mainly motivated by “my desire to help our homeland and our war against our enemies,’’ he also asked to be paid $3,000 for the information, investigators said.
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/cambridge/articles/2010/10/07/akamai_employee_charged_with_fraud/

Contrast that with a frank Reuters/Haaretz/Ynet article about the same case:
US Jew charged in wake of botched Israel spying attempt
An Akamai Technologies employee was charged with trying to give confidential company information to an undercover FBI agent he thought worked for a foreign government, U.S. prosecutors said Wednesday ... In June 2006, Doxer emailed a foreign country's consulate in Boston with his offer to help ... Court papers indicated the country was Israel. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to confirm or deny that it was Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/u-s-jew-charged-in-wake-of-botched-israel-spying-attempt-1.317798

Analysis / Opinion

Prime Minister Lieberman / Gush Shalom
This week Israel's security forces practiced the putting down of mass demonstrations and protests among Israel's Arab citizens and their imprisonment in a large detention camp to be established at Golani Junction in Galilee. The exercise was based on a scenario of the riots being provoked by implementation of Avigdor Lieberman's plan for "an exchange of populations", i.e. massively depriving Arabs of their Israeli citizenship. A week ago Lieberman voiced this heinous idea on the podium of the UN Assembly General and Prime Minister Netanyahu murmured some weak reservations. Now it turns out that the security forces are already preparing to implement it in practice, under the responsibility of none other than Labor Party leader Ehud Barak - the Minister of Defence.
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/press_releases/1286579120/

An evaporating Palestine / Rannie Amiri
"For 17 years they [Palestinians] negotiated with the Israeli government during settlement construction ... "  -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 1 October 2010 ... The price of clinging to power and remaining in the good graces of the U.S. State Department has been forsaking Gaza. The Israeli government seized on this, bolstering Abbas’ stature by pretending they had found a trusted negotiating partner -- all while the quiet annexation of land continued. But it is hard to solely blame Abbas. As Netanyahu stated, Israel has mastered the art of entering empty dialogue with Palestinians as new East Jerusalem and West Bank settlements are built. As the map shows, Palestine is evaporating. It is now just a tangle of checkpoints, roadblocks, barriers and military zones.
http://www.counterpunch.org/amiri10082010.html

Arab regime credibility hanging by its last invisible thread / Alan Hart
Arab leaders know that with America’s mid-term elections fast approaching, there is no way a humiliated, increasingly desperate and isolated Obama can even think about applying real pressure on Israel. (I am still of the opinion that he did not enter the Oval Office programmed to do Zionism’s bidding. His real problem was that he was too inexperienced and naïve...) So why are they, Arab leaders, going through the motions? The short answer is that once again they are seeking to cover the ugly nakedness of their impotence.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/10/arab-regime-credibility-hanging-by-its-last-invisible-thread/

Leaked letter reveals Obama's contempt for international law /Stuart Littlewood
It has been an unsettling week watching Obama’s unholy alliance with Israel take the world a step nearer the edge of the abyss ... It’s obvious lawyer Obama needs a refresher course in United Nations rulings and codes of conduct before this pathetic relationship gets hopelessly out of hand.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/10/leaked-letter-reveals-obama%E2%80%99s-contempt-for-international-law/

On the road to Damascus, thinking of Monty Python / Yvonne Ridley
... Later that day we walked through the ancient ruins of the oasis city of Palmyra north-east of Damascus, and I began to realise then just how insignificant Israel really is in the grand scheme of things in the Arab world. The state is just over 60 years old and in that time it has never known a day of peace for itself or its neighbours. It is in a permanent state of advanced paranoia and is always on a war footing, real or imagined. That sort of negative energy and existence can never be sustained for very long but, in the Middle East, time is measured in centuries not months and years.
http://counterpunch.org/ridley10082010.html

His father's boy / Uri Avnery
WHICH IS the real Netanyahu? * Bibi the weakling, the invertebrate, who always gives in to pressure, who zigzags to the left and to the right, depending whether the pressure comes from the US or from his coalition partners? * The tricky Likud chief, who is afraid that Avigdor Ivett Lieberman might succeed in pushing him towards the Center and displace him as the leader of the entire Right? * Netanyahu, the man of principle, who is determined to prevent at any cost the setting up of the State of Palestine, and is therefore using every possible ruse to sabotage real negotiations?
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1286625396/

Injustice in three dimensions / Robert Fisk
I am now the proud owner of a wooden "Perfecscope" ... Into this I can place a card bearing two identical photographs of Palestine – each more than 100 years old – and when I peer through the eyepieces, I perceive two facts: that the peasants stand out in three-dimension against the fertile fields and trees of Ottoman Palestine; and that this ancient province was not the "barren" land which Israeli song and legend makes it out to be.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-injustice-in-three-dimensions-2101852.html

A destructive regression / Claude Kandiyoti
A minority of self-proclaimed guardians of the Jewish people's purity is securing a monopoly over Jewish identity ... In France, with the biggest Diaspora community after the U.S., and its own rabbinical court, the ultra-Orthodox have nonetheless hijacked conversion, and the whole process has become a nightmare.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/a-destructive-regression-1.317815

Iraq

Friday: 2 Iraqis killed, 14 wounded
Excerpt: ...In Baghdad, a body was discovered in the Tigris River. Two bystanders were wounded in Adhamiya, when a clash broke out after a sniper wounded an Iraqi soldier. A massive demonstration against the political deadlock was held in Firdous Square. A recent spike in rocket attacks on the Green Zone was reported. The body of a young woman, apparently tortured, was found in Madaen. In Basra, four prison guards were wounded when prisoners attacked them, and several inmates were treated for tear gas exposure
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/10/08/friday-2-iraqis-killed-14-wounded/

Saturday: 6 Iraqis killed, 22 wounded
Excerpt: Displaying newfound confidence that he has the support to remain prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki called on rival parties to make concessions and enter into talks to end the political impasse plaguing Iraq for the last seven months. He also asked opponents living in exile to return home. Meanwhile, at least six Iraqis were killed and 22 more were wounded in violence located mostly in central Iraq. Three brothers were killed execution-style after being dragged out of their home in Garma. Their driver was wounded. The suspected killers were described as dressed in military uniforms.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/10/09/saturday-6-iraqis-killed-22-wounded/

For Mandaeans, a journey to peace
Scattered by Iraq war, many find solace here. Worcester -- For all he has lost in his flight from Iraq, Samir Aljuhily is reminded every day of just how much he has gained, how far he has come, each time he opens the door of his apartment without fear it will be rigged with bombs ... Massachusetts is home to the country’s largest and fastest-growing number of Mandaeans, members of a non-Arab, pre-Christian race whose 60,000 people have been scattered worldwide since Iraq erupted in sectarian violence in 2006.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/10/08/for_mandaeans_a_journey_to_peace/

Other Mideast

Iran acknowledges espionage at nuclear facilities (AP)
Attempt to infiltrate nuclear institutions follows computer virus attack on Bushehr power plant -- Iran revealed for the first time Saturday that some personnel at the country's nuclear facilities were lured by promises of money to pass secrets to the West, but that increased security and worker privileges have put a stop to the spying.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/iran-acknowledges-espionage-at-nuclear-facilities-1.318017

Report: Ahmadinejad won't visit Israel border
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won't approach Israel's border during an upcoming visit to Lebanon, the Iranian broadcaster IRNA reported Saturday. The Iranian leader was reportedly planning to throw a symbolic stone toward Israel during a visit to southern Lebanon, where he planned to tour sites from the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=322237

In south Lebanon, tourism develops despite threat of war / Mona Alami
KHIAM, Lebanon (IPS) - The contours of a modern medieval castle stretch along the Wazzani River delineating Lebanon's border with Israel. A few meters away from the United Nations-mandated Blue Line, on Lebanon's first line of fire with Israel, a tourism project at an estimated cost of 20 million dollars is slowly taking shape.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11561.shtml

Hezbollah chief Nazrallah emerges from bunker to plant a tree (AP/dpa)
Hezbollah launch campaign urging Lebanese citizens to plant one million trees around the country -- A television station run by Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group has aired a rare spot showing the group's reclusive leader emerging from hiding to plant a tree. Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has rarely been seen in public since his Shiite Muslim group battled Israel in a month-long 2006 war, fearing assassination. He gives news conferences via satellite link.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/hezbollah-chief-nasrallah-emerges-from-bunker-to-plant-a-tree-1.317973?localLinksEnabled=false

Laws are causing Christian disaffection / Jill Hamilton
The multi-stranded patriarchal system of religious laws affecting Christians in the Middle East are long overdue for reform ... Unlike the Jews and Muslims, Christian courts have no websites. Nor do they publish precedents of cases or judgments, or allow court reporters or members of the public to attend court hearings.The way Muslims are subjected to sharia law is often regarded with distaste in western society, yet sharia courts in Israel and the West Bank are a beacon of transparency compared to the Christian courts.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/oct/09/laws-causing-christian-disaffection

Brotherhood to run in Egypt polls
Main opposition group announces plan to contest November's legislative vote, despite calls by some for a boycott.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2010/10/201010911379428759.html

U.S. and other world news

ADL leader criticized over NY mosque
Jewish agency opposes new center's location -- Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, was confronted at the organization’s annual meeting yesterday in Boston by members who suggested his opposition to a proposed Islamic center near the site of the terrorist attacks in New York has sullied the century-old organization’s reputation for fighting prejudice and promoting religious freedom.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/10/08/adl_leader_criticized_over_ny_mosque/

Oh no! Scary Muslims! - Scott Horton interviews Will Grigg on conservative cowardi ce
Will Grigg, author of Liberty in Eclipse, discusses the popular fear that an all-powerful global Islamic Caliphate is impending – despite the fact nearly all Muslim countries are controlled by U.S.-friendly authoritarian governments, the displacement of ancient Christian communities during the U.S. occupation of Iraq and the resemblance of America’s increasing paranoia about Muslims to German antipathy toward Jews in the interwar period.
http://antiwar.com/radio/2010/10/05/will-grigg-17/

UPDATE: More terrorism fear-mongering exposed as frivolous / Glenn Greenwald
[links to several articles, including this from the NY Times 7 Oct:] ...For years, Americans in general and New Yorkers in particular have been told by some of their political leaders that they have to be afraid, always afraid. It’s as if Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous words were turned upside down. What we have to fear, these politicians in effect say, is not just fear itself but everything else as well.New Yorkers were having none of it this week.
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/10/08/fear/index.html

Canada's war on Islam: the case of Mahboob and Momin Khawaja / Stephen Lendman
Canada, like other Western countries and Israel, is partnered in America’s War on Islam — a post-9/11 "war on terror" scheme to vilify Muslims as culturally inferior gun-toting terrorists for political advantage. As a result, thousands of innocent victims have been lawlessly persecuted, bogusly charged, imprisoned, tortured, and in some cases extrajudicially murdered in cold blood.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/10/canadas-war-on-islam-the-case-of-mahboob-and-momin-khawaja/

French Muslims feel increased scrutiny amid terror concerns
...There are Moroccan women with head coverings shopping for fruits, Tunisian merchants selling sweets and olives, Congolese and Senegalese playing a game of football in the park, and bearded Pakistanis chatting over tea at the corner shop. Many of these people are second-generation immigrants, sons and daughters of those who came here in the big immigration wave of the 1960s. This generation was born right here in France – they speak French and hold French citizenship exactly like any old-timer in a beret feeding the pigeons in the Jardin du Luxembourg.But, they say, they are still treated differently.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2010/1008/French-Muslims-feel-increased-scrutiny-amid-terror-concerns

'Operation Recovery'" On 9th anniversary of Afghan war, veteran-led campaign seeks to end deployment of traumatized soldiers
BROCK McINTOSH: Well, what I’m doing here in Washington is helping to launch a new campaign called "Operation Recovery," where our goal is to stop the deployment of traumatized troops. A lot of soldiers are being forced on multiple deployments, and a lot of these soldiers have mental trauma, they have sexual trauma, and a lot of these soldiers are on psychotropic drugs to deal with this trauma. And we believe that soldiers have a right to heal from that trauma, and we also believe that the idea of traumatized soldiers being placed in an environment where they’re supposed to help civilians is not a good—it’s not a good idea.
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/7/operation_recovery_on_9th_anniversary_of/

Losing the propaganda war / Jim Lobe
WASHINGTON - On the ninth anniversary of the United States military intervention in their country, a report released on Thursday finds that Afghans remain deeply distrustful and resentful of the impact and intent of foreign forces there.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/LJ09Df04.html

Pakistan to reopen border crossing
Announcement comes just hours after nearly 30 lorries carrying supplies for Nato troops in Afghanistan are torched. Video: Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder reports on the continuing attacks on Nato supply lorries in Pakistan
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/asia/2010/10/201010911405387766.html
--
www.TheHeadlines.org

The New America Foundation is doing Israel and Palestine. From Chris Hayes, at their twitterfeed:

Biggest impression after 36 hrs in E Jerusalem, is that there are all kinds of situations here that seem totally unsustainable & yet endure

 And from Madayo:

Day/Lesson 2: "Israel rules E. Jerusalem poorly and cruelly--not because Israelis are evil, but because they shouldn't be ruling it at all."

Last month my wife and I visited Wadi Rum in southern Jordan. It's a famous desert, with majestic scenery, including a mountain feature called T.E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom (below). The arrangement is that you come to a small settlement at the edge of the desert and hire an outfitters to take you into the desert in 4X4s and bring you round to all the sights, then put you up in tents.

One of the sights is a siq, or channel, between two mountains, with ancient pictographs on the walls (including the one at the top of this post).

The Toyota deposited us, our lazy driver didn't stir from the wheel, and a boy of about 11 came out of the shadows and ran barefoot ahead of us across the hot sand toward the siq.

I don't like aggressive guides so I ignored his pitch, but my wife fell in with him. I went ahead, up and down the tortuous siq, the rock polished by thousands of visitors, but I could hear the kid and my wife chattering. My wife falls for some people; and she can be charming. Later, when it became an issue, she said that she loved the kid because he loved the place he lived in, he was energetic and enterprising, and he was knowledgeable.

He even got out a flashlight to point out some of the more obscure pictographs. "This is snake," I heard him saying, to her oohs and ahs. "Be careful!" I heard her call out as he showed off, scaling a steep chute of stone. He grinned as he jumped down into the sand.

Another Toyota had come and I befriended a Canadian couple on vacation from Dubai, and then we were leaving, and my wife called out to me from a bush. "Phil do you have 3 dinars [$4.50]?"

The kid crouched over an array of cheap souvenirs. My wife was buying a couple of bags of tea. 

I brought the money over, and my wife said, "This is my husband."

The kid said, "He is a lucky duck of a man."

My wife laughed.

The phrase has echoed for weeks. When I complain about the shopping-- lucky duck. When I complain about having to email her files from her computer that she forgot to take with her, lucky duck. The clay pots must come inside now... lucky duck. When I complain about anything at all, the Bedouin boy sides with my wife. I know that the unexamined life is not worth living; so is this who I am-- a lucky duck of a man, now and forever?

From Noam Sheizaf at 972:

IBA Radio is reporting that Israel’s security forces ended Thursday a large national drill, in which the civil defense forces, police, military police, fire department and Israel’s prisons unit trained for large scale riots in the Israeli-Arab public, following a signing of a peace agreement that would include “population exchange” (transfer of Arab population to the Palestinian state).

According to Kol Israel’s report, in such an event, a large detention camp for Palestinian citizens will be constructed in Golani Junction, at Israel’s north, and all illegal aliens will be released from prisons to make room for Palestinians.

We posted an anonymous report of Tzipi Livni's speech at Harvard the other day. Our (Jewish) correspondent dilates:

Tablet did what amounts to a fawning interview with Livni the day after the speech (she presumably was informed that Ha'aretz went ahead & covered it). This is the key:

David Samuels of Tablet: But we have no connection to military life. When we see pictures from the war in Lebanon or Operation Cast Lead, we say, “This is wrong. Why should we support this? It’s terrible. This is not what Judaism in my synagogue was about. This is an army that’s killing people.”

Livni: I made a speech at Harvard, and someone asked me the same question. [Here, Livni’s handler states that the person who asked the question was also a Jew. Livni nods.] He said, “How can you speak about Jewish values when the Israeli army killed a thousand people in Gaza?” I said to him the following: “I don’t ask the world to turn a blind eye when Israel is attacking Gaza or Lebanon, and I’m willing to be judged by the entire world, as long as the world is judging us according to its own values.... When a terrorist is looking for a child to kill, on the lines at a discotheque, at a pizza parlor, on buses... etc. When an Israeli soldier in Gaza is trying to kill terrorists sometimes, by mistake, civilians are also killed."

I expect the Jews to understand because they know that in Israel, these soldiers are our children. An Israeli soldier is raised on values of respecting human life...

My friend--the "person who asked the question above"--is IN NO WAY A JEW. That nodding... That assumption again.... And on the part of the handler no less. It speaks volumes.

Ynet:

The IDF is learning from its experience with the flotilla to the Gaza Strip, and when the next flotilla--“ if there is one“-- is boarded by the navy, the soldiers will be assisted by attack dogs from the Oketz unit. The dogs will be the first to board the decks, to prevent harm to soldiers from hostile elements on board.