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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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what i found most compelling was the difficulty Palestinians go through to tend their trees. of fifty crossing points, 39 are always closed, except for the harvest process, making the care of the trees much more difficult.
it is possible that over 30,000 metric tons will be produced, being a peak year, compared to the normal, a little under ten thousand tons.
olive trees make up about 80% of trees in orchards, the harvest represent over 15% of the agricultural output. most of this land, over eighty percent of it is on the other side of an Isreali barrier; for the barrier alone, 10,000 olive trees were uprooted. Isreal continues to build this barrier, against the rulings of the International Court of Justice (an arm of the UN). encroachment continues on the frindges which neighbor Jewish settlements, in Jerusalem as well. despite these unnatural restrictions they practice this tradition with 270 presses, with freshness the same key issue over centuries, producing some of the finest olive oil from some 10 million trees. |
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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Israel said on Tuesday it would not allow peace activists aboard a boat bound for the Gaza Strip from Cyprus to land in the impoverished Palestinian territory for a second time.
Twenty-seven activists from 13 countries left Cyprus on Tuesday afternoon aboard a 20-metre (66-foot) Gibraltar-registered pleasure cruiser, aiming to break an Israeli blockade and to deliver vital medical supplies.
Their vessel left Larnaca on the south coast of Cyprus at 5:10 pm (1510 GMT), and organisers said their plan was to arrive in Gaza at around 8:00 am on Wednesday.
The activists hoped to repeat a blockade-busting run by two smaller fishing boats in the summer which was not prevented by the Israelis.
http://afp.com/article/ALeqM5gAqWjMk7tMQwmSPvM734geIowThw
Doubts that Israel would not take a similar line the second time around were expressed on Tuesday by the only Israeli Jew on board the protest vessel.
"I think Israel will block us from entering because there is an election coming up in Israel," said 73-year-old Gideon Spiro.
In Jerusalem, foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor confirmed his fears.
"They will not be allowed to enter. Judging by the previous time they entered it is clear they are not coming for any humanitarian purpose," he told AFP.
"Last time they took part in demonstrations and propaganda events organised by Hamas. This time we will not let them pass," he added. |
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stavrizatz
Mukhtar/is
Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Posts: 931
Location: Australia / Lefkosia
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| Also the well known musician of Cypriot origin, Yassuf Islam aka Cat Stevens or Stavros Georgiou (close to my name Stavros Georges), was not allowed to enter Israel for a peace concert in Israel. We better support his concert in Cyprus, look it up on facebook Peace Train for Cyprus. |
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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Palestinian children participate in a candle-light demonstration after Gaza plunged into darkness on Nov. 10, 2008. The only power station in Gaza Strip was forced to shut down on Monday due to the Israeli blockade of fuel deliveries, leaving 800,000 people into blackout.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/11/content_10339593.htm |
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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International activists say one of their boats has left Cyprus bound for Gaza trying to break an Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory for the fifth time.
Free Gaza Group spokeswoman Greta Berlin confirmed that the 66-foot yacht SS Dignity left Larnaca on Friday evening. It is scheduled to return to Cyprus on Monday.
She said the boat's 15 passengers are from Italy, Lebanon and Israel, and include two officials from the private Qatar Charity. They will tour Gaza looking for investment opportunities.
The boat is carrying a ton of medicine, baby food and 20 satellite tracking devices to be installed on Palestinian fishing boats.
The group has previously made four successful boat trips to Gaza. Three more trips are planned for next month.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/19/europe/EU-Cyprus-Gaza-Blockade.php# |
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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Cyprus calls for immediate end of violence in Gaza
www.chinaview.cn 2008-12-29 06:32:57 Print
NICOSIA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus has called for an immediate end of violence in Gaza amid reports that Israel was preparing a ground attack.
The Cypriot Foreign Ministry on Sunday issued an statement, expressing its "grave concern over the recent escalation of violence in Gaza, which led to the loss of many innocent lives."
Cyprus condemned "all indiscriminate acts against civilian targets," which added further to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The government of Cyprus called for "the immediate termination of acts of violence and of use of disproportionate force."
Cyprus underlined the need for the full resumption of the cease-fire and supports efforts of neighboring countries towards this aim, the statement added.
It also urged Israel and Palestinian Authority to continue peace talks towards a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.
Cyprus government also expressed its support to the reconciliation efforts between rival Palestinian groups.
Editor: Yan |
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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Activists sail to Gaza with medical aid from Cyprus
Mon 29 Dec 2008, 18:48 GMT
[-] Text [+] LARNACA, Cyprus, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Aid workers, doctors and a former U.S. Congresswoman sailed for battered Gaza with medical aid from Cyprus on Monday, defying Israeli air attacks on the Palestinian territory for the third successive day.
The organisers of the shipment, the U.S.-based Free Gaza Movement, said they would ferry three tonnes of urgently needed medical supplies, donated by Cyprus, to the Gaza Palestinians.
"This is an active protest and a direct response to the killing going on at the moment," Renee Boyer, a spokeswoman for the organisers, told Reuters.
A small cabin cruiser, heavily laden with boxes of medical supplies and 16 people, left the Cyprus port of Larnaca on Monday evening on the 12 to 15 hour voyage.
One passenger, American Cynthia McKinney, said she wanted to highlight what she said was a trail of devastation left by U.S. weapons sold to Israel.
"There is a need for the people of the United States to understand that every piece of rubble that is on that strip of land is caused by U.S. weapons," said McKinney, a former U.S. Congresswoman and presidential candidate for the Green Party in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
Three doctors among the passengers planned to remain in Gaza.
"We are trying to materialise a humanitarian and medical mission and to send a message to the people of Gaza that they are not alone," said Eleni Theocharous, a doctor and member of the Cyprus parliament.
Israel has not stopped activists from the Free Gaza Movement from sailing to the coastal territory in the past, though the territory was declared a closed military zone on Monday. The Israeli navy patrols Gazan coastal waters.
Aid workers said they were aware they could be intercepted. "That doesn't stop or deter us," McKinney said. (Writing by Michele Kambas; editing by Tim Pearce)
© Reuters 2008. All Rights Reserved. |
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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Fierce attack on Israel from MP in Gaza mercy mission
By Stefanos Evripidou
THE SS Dignity rammed by Israeli vessels while trying to deliver urgent medical supplies to Gaza was damaged “along with the dignity of Europe, which did not react”, said DISY deputy Eleni Theocharous on her return to Cyprus on Tuesday.
“One way or another, Israel never had dignity in these issues,” added Theocharous.
“Israel is behaving like a terrorist state, using the support provided by other superpowers and the military machine it has created, in order to slaughter peoples under its occupation,” she added.
The small boat left Larnaca port on Monday carrying doctors, journalists, human rights activists and three tonnes of humanitarian aid. Its trip was cut short when Israeli navy vessels, without warning, rammed into the Dignity three times in international waters on Tuesday morning.
The interception caused severe damage to the boat, which began taking on water. Despite Israeli efforts to send the boat back to Cyprus without adequate fuel, the Dignity crawled towards Tyre, the southern port of Lebanon. The captain of the boat was rushed from Beirut yesterday to try and stop the boat from sinking at the port.
The three Cypriots on board, including Theocharous, returned to Cyprus by air on Tuesday night.
Theocharous said that the course of the boat was in line with international law. “We did not violate any rule and the interception occurred in international waters, 73km west of Haifa, which constitutes a violation of international law and a crime against humanity. What happened was attempted murder,” she argued.
Describing the collision, Theocharous said, “We were thrown three times from one side of the boat to the other and in the end we landed on the deck,” noting that blankets had softened their fall.
After the boat started leaking, everyone put on lifejackets while the electrical system and the water pumps failed, along with all communications. The cases of medical aid destined for the injured in Gaza ended up being lifesavers for the crew itself.
“In the end we were obliged to empty the cases of medicine and try to cover the hole with the packets. Of course it was impossible due to the strong winds and apart from that the Israelis were chasing us with four vessels that followed us to Lebanon,” said the doctor.
Theocharous praised the representations of the Cypriot government, which allowed for the Gibraltar-flagged boat to moor in Lebanon.
The Dignity is currently being guarded at Tyre port in Lebanon at the instructions of the Lebanese President.
The British captain of the boat, Cyprus-based Denis Healey, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that the Dignity was actually sinking.
The 12 remaining passengers, including former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, were in Beirut meeting Lebanese President Michel Suleiman when Healey got a call saying the boat was sinking.
He was then rushed back to Tyre in an effort to save the boat from sinking.
“We’ve been told it’s sinking. The batteries have packed up and the pumps are not working. We’ve got to go assess the situation and sort it out, and probably take it to a boat yard,” he said.
In the meantime, the boxes of medical aid were taken into storage. Healey rejected claims by the British Foreign Office that he had been warned not to travel to Gaza.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008 |
...hundreds have died this week in Gaza from Israeli airstrikes... |
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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NICOSIA, Cyprus: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have pelted Cypriot riot police with rocks, sticks, shoes and oranges near the Israeli embassy in Nicosia.
A peaceful protest turned violent Saturday when some protesters tried to pull away barbed wire and break through a line of riot police blocking a road leading to the Israeli embassy.
The demonstrators eventually stopped and dispersed after protest leaders pleaded with them to stop.
About 2,000 demonstrators, including Palestinians and Greek and Turkish Cypriots, had earlier converged in the center of the Cypriot capital to protest Israel's 8-day old air bombing campaign in Gaza.
It was the largest protest on the Mediterranean island so far on issue of Gaza, and organizers vowed that protests would continue.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/01/03/europe/EU-Cyprus-Gaza-Protest.php |
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Along with the many Palestinians and other Arabs living and working in Cyprus, the organisations participating in the demonstration were the Stop the War Coalition - Cyprus, the Palestinian Union of Cyprus, Cyprus News Party YKP, Turkish Cypriot Teachers Union (KTOS), United Cyprus Youth Against Nationalism, Cypriot-Kurdish Friendship Association, Baraka Cultural Centre, Autonomous Action of Anti-establishment Activists, AN.A.TROPI Students Initiative, Cypriot Youth Platform (KGP), Hands Across the Divide (HAD), Cyprus IndyMedia and Justice for Palestinians, San Jose, CA, USA.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=43326 |
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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Kyprianou said that Cyprus, a Mediterranean island located near the Gaza Strip, has placed its infrastructure at the disposal of the EU for the transport of humanitarian aid to Gaza in the cases, when the provided aid cannot be delivered through Israel's Ben Gurion airport to Gaza.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/05/content_10608851.htm |
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stavrizatz
Mukhtar/is
Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Posts: 931
Location: Australia / Lefkosia
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Israel if giving 3 hour cease fire everyday for humanitarian aid after the global protest for the bombing on a UN school.
http://www.phileleftheros.com/main/main.asp?gid=337&id=600246
Viva Palestina.
You will see me on TV at a Markos Baghdatis game in the Australian Open carrying a Palestinian flag in the Greek crowd. |
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Canada
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yiasou stavri, that was good to hear.
,,,what an idea! lol |
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