I’ve been wrapped up in Occupy Hilo and the Holidaze, and have woefully neglected my I/P/ME posts…! So, I would like to offer up a Xmas Eve present for ya’ll…!

Some note-worthy linkies that might while the time, while your turkey and/or ham is cooking…!
Bethlehem Ghetto

The Bethlehem Call: Here we stand – Stand with us…

From Mondoweiss… ‘This is awful,’ Bush said, coming into Bethlehem…

…On a presidential visit to Israel in 2008, Bush travels to Bethlehem by car rather than helicopter against the wishes of the Israelis because Rice wants him to see “the ugliness of the occupation, including the checkpoints and the security wall…for himself and [because] it would have been an insult to the Palestinians if he didn’t.” The barriers were taken down, the convoy traveled at speed, but Bush got the point, according to Rice: “‘This is awful,’ he said quietly.”

With all eyes on Jerusalem, today…

Israeli activist: Checkpoint at J’lem refugee camp form of “ethnic cleansing”

Approximately 30 Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals gathered at the edge of Shu’fat refugee camp on Sunday to protest a new Israeli checkpoint, which opened on December 12 and that an Israeli activist likened to a form of “ethnic cleansing.” Palestinian kids threw stones; Israeli police fired rubber-coated bullets at the children…

Now, FDL Alum, Marcy Wheeler, gave a very timely interview with Antiwar’s Scott Horton (Who will also be hosting the next FDL Book Salon with David Swanson)…

Terror War Strikes First Amendment

‘Material support’ could be anything, says Marcy Wheeler

Certainly reassuring, eh…? Especially with Obummer’s ‘signing statement’ on the NDAA… Obama: Gitmo, Foreign Command Provisions in Law Don’t Count…

Signing the massive “omnibus” spending bill into law today, President Barack Obama issued a formal signing statement indicating that he ends to pick and choose which portions of the new law he intends to follow and which he intends to ignore.

The two foreign policy provisions he intends to ignore are one limiting his ability to transfer detainees out of Guantanamo Bay, and one which would limit his ability to place US troops under foreign command, both of which he said would be ignored to “avoid constitutional conflicts.”

President Obama also rejected all provisions which require him to clear spending with appropriators, saying that he will not seek congressional approval for his spending decisions.

Sounds like an Imperial Presidium to me…!

Anyways, I’ve got more news to report, for instance, Hamas and Fatah are clearly on the path to reconciliation and Bibi is blowing a gasket over it…

Mashaal had even twisted the shiv in Bibi’s back…

Hamas leader to AP: New focus on popular protests

Hamas will focus on a strategy of holding mass protests against Israel in the style of the Arab Spring, although it is not renouncing the use of violence against the Jewish state, the Islamic group’s leader, Khaled Mashaal, told The Associated Press late Thursday.

Mashaal was in Cairo for reconciliation talks with Hamas’ rival, President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah. The sides agreed that Hamas would join the Palestine Liberation Organization, led by Abbas, and allow elections to go ahead in Gaza and the West Bank in 2012.

Popular protests have “the power of a tsunami,” Mashaal said, pointing to the recent waves of demonstrations across the Arab world.

“Now we have a common ground that we can work on — the popular resistance, which presents the power of people,” he said. The idea for the protests originated with the Palestinians themselves and the uprising they launched against Israel in 1987, he said, typified by crowds of rock-throwing Palestinian youths confronting heavily armed Israeli soldiers.

I applaud Hamas for finally embracing the nonviolent Protest movement…!

Now, check out this little tête-à-tête…

Ashton slams Israel over West Bank settlements

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton strongly disapproved of the Israeli authorities’ announcement that they intend to publish tenders for the construction of some 1000 housing units in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem.

Ashton urged them not to proceed with the open call. “The EU’s position is clear: settlement construction is illegal under international law and further complicates efforts to find a solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” she said…

Israel’s Loose Cannon Foreign Minister, Avi Lieberman scoffed at that silly EU notion, as he’s so wont to do, but, DM Ehud Barak quickly smacked Avi upside the head…

Barak slams Foreign Ministry for calling UN European states ‘irrelevant’

Comments were made in response to international criticism of Israeli settlement construction; Lieberman’s office: ‘We don’t respond to parties with less than six mandates.’

Defense Minister Ehud Barak criticized on Thursday statements made by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, which said the “bickering” of European Union members of the UN Security Council over Israeli settlement was making them “irrelevant.”

“European countries are very relevant,” Barak told Israel Radio, “and they stand with us in important times.” He added that the countries should be told they are mistaken, but Israel should continue cooperating with them and refrain from conflicts.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s office retaliated Thursday by saying: “We do not respond to parties who have less than six mandates.”

“In issues that are important to Israel (such as) fighting the attempts to push us to the International Criminal Court, we turn to Sarkozy and Cameron, so I don’t think we should turn them into tensed, insulted and bitter opponents,” Barak said. He added that “Germany, France and Britain are not Tanzania, Mauritania or Tripolitania. These are very important countries in the world and we have no interest in increasing the tensions with them.” …

Well, I could rant and rave some more but it is Xmas Eve, afterall…! Peace on Earth, and, Mele Kalikimaka from my Hale to yours…! *g*