Will this increase or decrease the likelihood of terrorist actions in America, Europe and the rest of the world?

If you were a member of a family murdered in this conflict, would you be seeking revenge?

Should Tzipi Livni and Ehud Olmert, be tried for war crimes if or when this conflict comes to an end?

What will the price of oil be in 4 weeks time?

Israel must be proud of itself.



Israel 'cuts Palestinians water'
A girl stands next to a water tank near Nablus, West Bank. Photo: October 2009
Some Palestinians only get 20 litres of water a day, Amnesty says

Israel is denying Palestinians access to even the basic minimum of clean, safe water, Amnesty International says.

In a report, the human rights group says Israeli water restrictions discriminate against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

It says that in Gaza, Israel's blockade has pushed the already ailing water and sewage system to "crisis point".

Israel says the report is flawed and the Palestinians get more water than was agreed under the 1990s peace deal.

'Basic need'

In the 112-page report, Amnesty says that on average Palestinian daily water consumption reaches 70 litres a day, compared with 300 litres for the Israelis.


Israel must end its discriminatory policies, immediately lift all the restrictions it imposes on Palestinians' access to water
Donatella Rovera
Amnesty International

Gaza thirsts as sewage crisis mounts
Water shortages plague West Bank

It says that some Palestinians barely get 20 litres a day - the minimum recommended even in humanitarian emergencies.

While Israeli settlers in the West Bank enjoy lush gardens and swimming pools, Amnesty describes a series of Israeli measures it says are discriminating against Palestinians:

* Israel has "entirely appropriated the Palestinians' share of the Jordan river" and uses 80% of a key shared aquifer
* West Bank Palestinians are not allowed to drill wells without Israeli permits, which are "often impossible" to obtain
* Rainwater harvesting cisterns are "often destroyed by the Israeli army"
* Israeli soldiers confiscated a water tanker from villagers who were trying to remain in land Israel had declared a "closed military area"
* An unnamed Israeli soldier says rooftop Palestinian household water tanks are "good for target practice"
* Much of the land cut off by the West Bank barrier is land with good access to a major aquifer
* Israeli military operations have damaged Palestinian water infrastructure, including $6m worth during the Cast Lead operation in Gaza last winter
* The Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza has "exacerbated what was already a dire situation" by denying many building materials needed for water and sewage projects.

The report also noted that the Palestinian water authorities have been criticised for bad management, quoting one audit that described the sector as in "total chaos".

"Water is a basic need and a right, but for many Palestinians obtaining even poor-quality, subsistence-level quantities of water has become a luxury that they can barely afford," Amnesty's Donatella Rovera said.

"Israel must end its discriminatory policies, immediately lift all the restrictions it imposes on Palestinians' access to water."

ETC.

Just a reminder of why there is conflict in the Middle East and Israel's continued abuse of UN resolutions.

"Clinton: Israel must do more on settlement issue
US secretary of state moderates her praise for Jewish state's offer to restrain, but not stop, its building of settlements in Palestinian areas
News agencies

Published: 11.02.09, 15:33 / Israel News


US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday moderated her praise for Israel's offer to restrain, but not stop, its building of settlements in Palestinian areas.

She said it falls short of US expectations but would have a "significant and meaningful effect" on limiting the growth of Jewish settlements on land the Palestinians want for their own state.
"The Israelis have responded to the call of the US, the Palestinians and the Arab world to stop settlement activity by expressing a willingness to restrain settlement activity," she told reporters in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh.

"This offer falls far short of what our preference would be but if it is acted upon it will be an unprecedented restriction on settlements and would have a significant and meaningful effect on restraining their growth."

On Saturday her praise of Israel's offer to restrict its settlement activity drew widespread criticism from Arab nations who interpreted it as a softening of the US position on settlements, which stand in the way of a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

During a photo-taking session with her Moroccan counterpart, Clinton was asked by a reporter about the Arab reaction, and she responded by reading from a written statement that appeared designed to counter the skepticism about the Obama administration's views on settlements.

"Successive American administrations of both parties have opposed Israel's settlement policy," she said. "That is absolutely a fact, and the Obama administration's position on settlements is clear, unequivocal and it has not changed. As the president has said on many occasions, the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements."

She also called on the Israelis to do more to improve "movement and access" for Palestinians and on Israeli security arrangements. "

Just to help understanding of the Middle East conflict.


The Israelis really do want peace.




Nov 3rd

Since Mr Obama first called for a halt to building activity in

the West Bank, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced Israel will proceed with 3000 new houses that had already been approved.

Both major Palestinian factions -- Mr Abbas's Fatah faction and the militant Hamas faction that runs the Gaza Strip -- are strongly opposed to any talks without a freeze on settlements.

For those interested in the manipulation of power by the different lobbies and the slow resolution of the the Middle East problem it is worth having a look at :

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches

no doubt that will be a completely objective and unbiased programme ..... believe that and you'll believe anything

I watched the program last night. It was was excellent. A part of it was about the strong pro Israel lobby here and in the US and the attempts to make people who are anti Israel out to be anti Jewish. I am very anti Israel and regard it it as one of the worst behaved countries in the world regarding human rights abuses, but I am firmly pro Jewish. There should be no link between the two things.

unfortunately most are incapable of such differentiation .... mind you, anti-semitism is close to the surface in any case in many european countries, UK being one of them

Very true. The French for instance have had a long history of anti-semitism, in fact more pronounced than that of Germany until AH artificially increased it. Most of the roots of anti-semitism in the UK apart from substantial amounts hundreds of years ago, was the mass immigration about 100+ years ago. This became a problem as the immigrants tended to live in specific areas.

The East End of London was a prime example. The same area now is occupied by Asians, with the same problems. The local population resent the newcomers. I had an office in Brick Lane, right in the middle of this area. What was interesting, was that a tiny number of authodox jewish businesses remained from the early 1900s. I used to speak to a few of them. I found out later that they thought I was Jewish.

One of them said to me, "look at that schwartza....." schwartza being Yiddish for black-person. It wasn't the use of the word schwartza that was the problem as it is a pretty neutral word, it was what he said after it. He only said the abuse after it because he thought I was Jewish. When I said "schwartza?", he replied "aren't you Jewish?". I thought it was interesting to see a person who was a member of a minority that is discriminated against saying the same type of abuse against another minority.

schwartzer!
although you are right about it meaning a "black person" it is usually pretty perjorative, just as is the use of schiksa and goy.

actually, anti-semitism is much more seep-seated than that, and throughout europe is an interesting history in itself .....

What I find irritating, is that when one is critical of Israeli present, or past policies and actions, the immediate response from some Jewish groups, is that the criticism is anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish.


It is meant to be intimidating and prevent opposition and avoid discussion of those policies and actions.

Ie. bully boy behaviour and attempting to shut discussion down.

When you examine it often involves insult of the person and little to do with the argument or "facts".

The same methods were used by Hitler in the thirties, and are use by some groups of "Islamic Community" now.

(Also characteristic of the BNP.)

What I find irritating, is that when one is critical of Israeli present, or past policies and actions, the immediate response from some Jewish groups, is that the criticism is anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish.


It is meant to be intimidating and prevent opposition and avoid discussion of those policies and actions.

Ie. bully boy behaviour and attempting to shut discussion down.

When you examine it often involves insult of the person and little to do with the argument or "facts".

The same methods were used by Hitler in the thirties, and are use by some groups of "Islamic Community" now.

(Also characteristic of the BNP.)

i find it irrititating that you have repeated a post!
anti-israeli sentiment is often linked to an anti-semitic base, just as anti-ira or anti-royalist was often synoymous with an intrinsic anti-irish sentiment - and so on and so forth

Cynic, I will remember your irritation!

Cynic, I will remember your irritation!

Back to the content. I agree with your "linked" argument, but often it is criticism of the policy and the reaction fails to address the issues by grouping around the flag.

i shall discuss this issue with my good palestinian friend abdel-kariem when i see him over the w/e in abu dhabi! .... we sorted out most things very easily last time we met, but we had a problem getting the various political and national parties to accept the obvious

cynic
I have never found that anti-IRA equates with anti-Irish sentiment. I am partly of Irish origins and from the south and catholic. I also don't like the IRA and am happy for NI to remain part of UK. I don't perceive much anti-Irish sentiment anyway.

I do remember in the 1950s and very early 1960s one used to see 'NO IRISH' signs where rooms were to rent. This gave way to 'NO BLACKS'. I suppose that around 1900 there were 'NO JEWS' signs as well. If it wasn't for the changes in the law then there would be 'NO ASIANS' signs.

I must say that I don't see much anti Jewish sentiment in the UK anymore and jewish friends say the same thing. The asians and blacks have a much harder time than do jewish people in this country now.

anti-anything is never more than subcutaneous and believe me, there is still plenty of covert/tacit anti-semitism about, though the jews should not feel like the sole scape goat in the wilderness

The arrogance of the Israeli government continues.

They may be running out of support they can buy!



Israeli settlement plan denounced
Settlement of Gilo (file)
The Israeli government considers Gilo an integral part of Jerusalem

The US and UN have criticised Israel's approval of 900 extra housing units at a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the move would hamper Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Their remarks came after Israel's interior ministry approved planning applications for the new units.

The planning and construction committee authorised the expansion of Gilo, which is built on land captured in 1967.

The land was later annexed to the Jerusalem municipality.

Meanwhile, Israeli bulldozers have demolished two homes in East Jerusalem, a further cause of Palestinian anger.


FROM BBC WORLD SERVICE

More from BBC World Service

Thirty people were displaced when the first home was knocked down in the Beit Hanina area of East Jerusalem on Tuesday evening, rights groups said.

On Wednesday morning, an empty building set to house 14 people was bulldozed in the Izzawiya area of the city.

The programme The Battle for Israel's Soul gives an insight to Middle East Problem.

For those without blinkers an interesting view.

Channel 4 unreported world.



http://www.channel4.com/programmes/unreported-world/4od