By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel – The proposed budget for the Construction Ministry includes $25 million dollars earmarked for the building of 740 new apartments.  The Construction Ministry budget includes funds to build over 500 apartments in the Har Homa settlement in East Jerusalem and 240 apartments in the Maaleh Adumim settlement in the West Bank.

At the conference in Annapolis in late November, Israeli and Palestinian Authority leaders agreed to renew the 2003 peace roadmap.  In the 2003 roadmap, Israel promised to freeze settlement growth.  Rafi Eitan, the Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, told local radio that Israel never promised to halt construction within the municipal borders of Jerusalem, which, according to Israel, includes East Jerusalem which was annexed during the 1967 War.  Also, Israel claims that since that any future agreement would include Maaleh Adumim as a part of an Israeli state, building in that settlement is permitted as well.  Eitan stated that Maaleh Adumim is an “integral part of Jerusalem in any peace accord.”

The international community and Palestinian leadership have expressed disagreement with the settlement building plans.  The announcement comes shortly before another peace meeting between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.  Senior Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, accused Israel of trying to sabotage the renewed peace efforts.  Erekat called Israel’s move as “destructive”.

In addition, senior Hamas officials signal that the group is prepared to reach a truce with Israel.  Ahmed Yusef, a polical advisor to Ismail Haniya, stated that Hamas is ready to “reach a truce with Israel” so long as the siege on Gaza is lifted and Israel halts it policy of assassinations.  However, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, has ruled out a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, describing the conflict as a “true war”, and that it will continue.

For more information, please see:
AFP – New Israeli Settlement Plans Unveiled on Eve of Peace Talks – 23 December 2007

Al Jazeera – Israel Funds More Settlement Growth – 23 December 2007

Associated Press – Israel Building Plans Could Spur Fury – 23 December 2007

BBC – Israel Confirms Settlement Plans – 23 December 2007

Chicago Tribune – Olmert Rules  Out Truce Talks With Hamas – 23 December 2007

Ha’aretz – Israel Expands Plans to Construct New Homes in E. J’lem, W. Bank – 23 December 2007

International Herald Tribune – Israel Plans New Homes on Occupied Land – 23 December 2007

Washington Post – Israel Unveils Settlement Plans on Peace Talks Eve – 23 December 2007

TUNIS, Tunisia – Human Rights Watch (HRW) sent a letter on Tuesday to Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to stop state authorities from harassing “unrecognized” rights group.

The “unrecognized” group refers to Tunis-based International Association in Support of Political Prisoners (AISPP). In early December, attorney Samir Ben Amor – AISPP co-founder and steering committee member – was detained by police for his activities within the group. Under Tunisian law, those who are involved in “unrecognized” associations are penalized with prison terms and fines. And AISPP, under Tunisian law definition, is “unrecognized” because the Tunisian authorities have refused to legally recognize the group since its inception five years ago.

Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa director Sarah Leah Whitson said that the Tunisian authorities deny having political prisoners in the country, and that jailing of Ben Amor “only underscores the fact that the authorities harass Tunisians who point out that the government holds political prisoners.”

Ben Amor is currently defending thirty Islamists charged with trying to overthrow the government.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Tunisia court postpones coup bid trail to Dec. 29 – 22 December 2007

Magharebia – HRW protests harassment of rights groups in Tunisia – 19 December 2007

Human Rights Watch – Stop harassing ‘unrecognized’ rights group – 18 December 2007

The Turkish military have sent ground troops into Iraq for the first time since the rising tensions regarding the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK).  The Turkish military reported that the attacks were a success and that PKK bases had heavy losses inflicted upon them.

The Turkish intelligence believes that the PKK is being supported by the northern Iraqi Kurds. The Turkish military had previously threatened to strike with ground forces, but before this attack they had only sent air strikes.

Reportedly, the Turkish military was supported by American intelligence to capture the PKK members.  However, the US has denied any such support.  (BBC)  This perception of support by the Americans caused Iraqi Kurdish leader Barzani to skip his meeting with U. S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

For more information, please see:

BBC- US denies backing Turkey PKK raid- 17 December 2007

International Herald Tribune (AP)- Turkey’s military confirms ground incursion; claims inflicted heavy losses- 18 December 2007

Reuters- Iraq Kurdish leader snubs Rice over Turkey raid- 18 December 2007

Italian Priest Adriano Franchini was stabbed following mass by a 19 year old assailant.  The attacker observed mass with the priest’s congregation but became violent and angry following a brief conversation with the Priest.  The stabbing was in the stomach and the injuries were not life threatening.

The stabbing follows a line of similar cases where Christians have been attacked in Turkey.  The recent string of attacks on Christian leaders began in February 2006.  A 16 year old shot a Catholic priest, while he was kneeling in prayer, in response to the European newspaper caricatures of the Muhammad.  There has been many more killings and attacks against priests and clerics in all regions of Turkey.  Recently, the gruesome killing of three Christians who throats were slit has undergone investigation to determine whether police officers aided the killers. (See story)

Christians comprise less than one percent of Turkey’s population.  However, the Christians are committed to staying in Turkey despite the attacks.  A catholic bishop remarked, “our will to remain here is stronger after these attacks. However, while the Turkish population is generally good, such events attest that there is a sick branch in the big tree of the local population.”  (AP)

For more information, please see:

AP- Priest Attacked, Hurt in Turkey- 17 December 2007

Guardian Unlimited- Priest stabbed after Sunday mass in Turkey- 17 December 2007

VOA News- Italian Catholic Priest Stabbed in Western Turkey- 16 December 2007

NAKCHIVAN, Azerbaijan – US Deputy State Secretary Daniel Fried has expressed concern over detention of a journalist working for US-funded radio station in Azerbaijan. Fried’s statement on Saturday comes a week after the United States said it was “deeply disturbed” by imprisonment of Ilgar Nasibov, calling it a sign of deteriorating media freedom in the country.

Nasibov was jailed on December 6 after turning up at court expecting to be released after being cleared of defamation suit brought by Nakhchivan City Police Department Deputy Chief. Instead, a judge tried Nasibov without counsel, and sentenced him to serve three months in jail.

Azerbaijan is the leading jailer of journalist in Europe and Central Asia and has the fifth-highest number of reporters behind bars worldwide. It is also among the places where press freedom has deteriorated the most over the last five years according to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) research.

For More Information, please see:

TODAY.AZ – Daniel Fried: “Strong countries do not send their reporters to jail” – 15 December 2007

Press TV – US condemns Azeri reporter’s arrest – 9 December 2007

AFP – US ‘disturbed by imprisonment of journalist in Azerbaijan – 8 December 2007

CPJ – Tenth Azerbaijani jounalist imprisoned – 6 December 2007

CPJ – Backsliders – 2 May 2007