28 June, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
One of ‘Freedom Flotilla’ ships found sabotaged in Greek port
IMEMC – Tuesday June 28, 2011 – 23:01, A ship known as the ‘Juliano’ (after assassinated activist Juliano Mer-Khamis) was found sabotaged on Monday evening, as it was being prepared for departure on the ‘Freedom Flotilla II’ of ten boats and 500 activists to Gaza this week.
Zahar: Unity Negotiations at Dead End
IMEMC – Tuesday June 28, 2011 – 15:03, Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar has confirmed that talks aimed at establishing a unity government between Fatah and Hamas have stalled due to the appointment of a interim Prime Minister in comments to Jordanian paper ad-Dustour.
Netanyahu reverses announcement to bar Journalists on Freedom Flotilla 2
IMEMC – Tuesday June 28, 2011 – 12:59, Monday June 27, Benjamin Netanyahu reversed the announcement made by the GPO that would have barred foreign journalists on board the Freedom Flotilla 2 entry into Israel for up to ten years.
Israeli Anti-Boycott Bill Prepared for Final Vote
IMEMC – Tuesday June 28, 2011 – 11:44, The Knesset’s Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee has approved an extended edition of a boycott bill which will prohibit the boycott of any person or product connected to Israel.
Flotilla Organisers: Participants Have Signed Declarations Of Non Violence
IMEMC – Tuesday June 28, 2011 – 11:14, Organisers of the Freedom Flotilla 2 have refuted claims made by the Israeli military on Monday that participants in the flotilla plan to use violence in resisting Israeli military plans to board the vessels. The organisers say that the passengers of the flotilla, due to leave this week, have signed declarations of non violence in advance of the journey.
Army Kidnaps Several Palestinians including Legislator, Journalist, Human Rights Activist
IMEMC – Tuesday June 28, 2011 – 10:03, Israeli soldiers kidnapped on Tuesday at dawn a Palestinian legislator, the head of a center that defends the rights of Palestinian detainees and human rights and a Journalist. 11 Palestinians were kidnapped across the occupied West Bank.
Israel to cope with ‘hardcore terror activists’ on flotilla
6/28/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel will be able to handle any violence from “hardcore activists” on board a new Gaza-bound flotilla, the foreign minister said Tuesday, amid claims some were planning attacks with chemicals.” The moderate elements who were planning to join the flotilla. . . know that for everyone who wants to help people in Gaza, that there…. Related: Flotilla activists deny Israeli claims of violent intent and Flotilla passenger on why she’s sailing to Palestine
Mayor: Israel uproots olive trees in northern West Bank
6/28/2011 – SALFIT (Ma’an) — Israeli forces uprooted dozens of olive trees on Tuesday in Deir Istiya in the northern West Bank, local officials told Ma’an. Village mayor Nazmi Sulaiman said some of the trees uprooted had been planted more than five years ago on land belonging to Kamal Muhammad Abdul Rahman. The mayor….
Center: Israel detains prisoners’ rights worker
6/28/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Tuesday detained a prisoners’ rights worker and confiscated his cell phone and computer, a detainees’ center said. The center said Sami Hussein, an employee in the Bethlehem-based organization, was detained during a raid on his home. Hussein has been detained several times and has spent 20….
Israeli forces fire at truck driver near Nablus
6/28/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Tuesday fired at a Palestinian truck driver near Za’tara checkpoint in the northern West Bank after he tried to run over an officer, witnesses told Ma’an. The driver managed to speed away into Nablus, onlookers said. An Israeli military spokeswoman said there was an….
Israel detains Palestinian lawmaker
6/28/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Tuesday detained 11 Palestinians in the West Bank including a Hamas-affiliated member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and a journalist. MP Nasser Abdel Jawwad was arrested in the early hours in the village of Deir Ballut near Salfit, a town nine miles south of Nablus, after troops ransacked….
Flotilla activists deny Israeli claims of violent intent
6/28/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — International activists on a Gaza-bound flotilla rejected on Tuesday Israeli claims they were bent on deadly violence, as Israel vowed to prevent the 10-vessel convoy from reaching the enclave. As the ships gathered in Greece ahead of their voyage to Gaza later this week, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman insisted Israel would be…. Related: Israel to cope with ‘hardcore terror activists’ on flotilla and Flotilla passenger on why she’s sailing to Palestine
Gaza children send messages to Sderot on kites
6/29/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Children in Gaza released kites on Tuesday carrying messages to residents of Sderot across the border in Israel. The kites carried messages urging Israel to end its siege of Gaza. Fourteen-year-old Einas Naim told Ma’an she hoped residents of Sderot would understand the messages.” I came to send….
Limited goods to enter the Gaza Strip
6/28/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities decided Tuesday to open the Kerem Shalom crossing and allow limited goods and fuel into the Gaza Strip. Palestinian Authority liaison official Raed Fattouh told Ma’an that Israeli officials will allow 260 trucks containing commercial and agricultural goods to enter the coastal enclave. Fattouh added that….
Flotilla passenger on why she’s sailing to Palestine
6/28/2011 – ATHENS, Greece (Ma’an) — At 33, Megan Horan is one of the younger passengers on the US Boat to Gaza. She admits that she is also a newcomer to the issues surrounding Israel and the Palestinians. After attending an interfaith conference last summer, soon after the Israeli raid on the flotilla that left nine….
Report: Egypt forms Palestine Administration
6/28/2011 – CAIRO, Egypt (Ma’an) — Newly-appointed Egyptian Foreign Minister Muhammad Al-Urabi announced Tuesday that his ministry would form a new department to handle Palestinian affairs, the Egyptian newspaper Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat reported. The Palestine Administration was created one day after the new foreign minister took office. After he was sworn in Monday, Al-Urabi told reporters that….
Detainee’s father concerned for son’s health
6/28/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The father of a Palestinian detained in an Israeli prison expressed concern for his son’s health, a prisoners’ center reported. Haitham Salhiya’s father learned from released detainees that his son was put in solitary confinement in a cell the size of a small mattress for….
Israeli forces detain 5 Palestinians in Azzun
6/28/2011 – QALQILIYA (Ma-an) — Israeli forces on Tuesday detained five Palestinians from the northern West Bank town of Azzun after ransacking their homes, witnesses said. Locals said troops raided the town at around 1 a. m. They identified those detained as Samir Sahir Shelo, 13, Ahmad Basim Shbeita, 17, Othman Samir Shelo, 22, Muath Bilal Sweidan, 19….
Top settler rabbi briefly arrested in racism row
6/28/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli police briefly detained a leading settler rabbi on Monday in connection with an investigation into a book justifying the killing of non-Jews, police said. Several months ago, police issued an arrest warrant for Rabbi Dov Lior, the chief rabbi of Kiryat Arba and other settlements around Hebron in the West Bank, after….
Protesters urge Abbas to appoint prisoner in new government
6/28/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Spokesman for Palestinian deportees Fahmi Kanaan on Monday urged President Mahmoud Abbas to appoint a detainee as a minister in the upcoming unity government. Kanaan called for the appointment during a speech delivered at a protest organized by the prisoners’ society in Unknown Soldier Square in Gaza City. The….
Hamas’ Zahar says Fatah to blame for talks delay
6/28/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar has reportedly blamed Fatah for the delay in reconciliation talks, confirming reports that talks reached a dead end.”After we signed the agreement, Fatah on the ground worked against it,” Al-Zahar told the Jordanian newspaper Al-Dustur on Tuesday. He added that Fatah were linking the whole….
Detainee’s mother dies without seeing son
6/28/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The mother of a Palestinian detainee died Tuesday without seeing her son for many years, a rights group said. A prisoners’ association said the dying wish of 80-year-old Wadhah Daamsa was to see her son Yahya. Yahya Daamsa, 40, is sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment plus 40….
Shaath: PA optimistic about UN statehood bid
6/28/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian leadership is to step up efforts to consolidate a UN statehood bid this September, Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Shaath told local media in Ramallah on Tuesday. Shaath, who is also commissioner for external relations in the Fatah movement, said the Palestinian Authority has decided to set up a….
Iran fires medium-range missile in war game
6/28/2011 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards fired 14 missiles in an exercise Tuesday, one of them a medium-range weapon capable of striking Israel or US targets in the Gulf, state media said. The Guards’ aerospace commander, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, insisted Iran’s missile program posed no threat to European….
Police seize marijuana plants in East Jerusalem
6/28/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority police on Tuesday seized 200 marijuana plants from a garden in Al-Eizariya in East Jerusalem. Police from Abu Dis searched the home in a joint operation with the PA anti-drugs unit, a police statement said. Police director for the Jerusalem area Imad Yassin said Palestinian forces would not tolerate….
Syrian refugees in Turkey homesick, but returns rare
6/28/2011 – CYAYLADAGI, Turkey (AFP) — Syrian refugees sheltering in Turkish camps say they are grateful to Turkey for offering them refuge from bloody unrest, but many also miss their homes and some are starting to return. The number of Syrians sheltering at tent cities in Turkey’s border province of Hatay decreased to 11,122 after 375….
Egypt tycoon accused of ‘Mickey Mouse’ insult to Islam
6/28/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egyptian tycoon and politician Naguib Sawiris has come under fire for posting a picture of Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Islamic dress, sparking a torrent of condemnation on social networking sites. Several lawyers have filed complaints to the public prosecutor accusing Sawiris of “insulting Islam”, a judicial source said, with calls on Facebook….
Syrian critics vow peaceful uprising
6/28/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Critics of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad vowed at an unprecedented gathering in Damascus Monday to press ahead with a peaceful uprising, as his embattled regime invited opponents to talks next month. The dissidents issued a statement outlining their key demands as the United States hailed as “significant” what it called the….
Taming the slum menace in Cairo
6/28/2011 – CAIRO (IRIN) — Madiha Abdel-Salam lives in a small room with her six children in Manshiet Nasser, an Egyptian slum perched precariously on sandstone cliffs on the outskirts of Cairo. When the children squeeze her out, the 42-year-old mother spends the night with neighbors. In the morning when one of the children gets up, she….
Syria ‘street’ slams, US applauds opposition meet
6/28/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — Activists behind street protests in Syria criticized on Tuesday a meeting of opposition figures, as the United States said the gathering was a step in the right direction. On Monday, about 160 dissidents, several of whom have spent years in jail as political prisoners, vowed to press ahead with a peaceful uprising, and….
The hell with Israel; Open Gaza Port.
Palestine Note 28 Jun 2011 – Israel, the angry, unhappy and psychological misfit nation it is, full of hate and contempt for the world and human value, is a country that never gives damn or due considerations to international law and always have contempt for world…
The Proposed U.N Vote On Palestine Lacks Strategic Focus and Demonstrates Failed Leadership
Palestine Note 27 Jun 2011 – Most of us now have the same basic end goal for the Israelis and Palestinians —- a two state solution based on 1967 borders with appropriate land swaps. That border mantra is really the easy part. The real fun begins…
Egypt protesters clash with police
AlJazeera 28 Jun 2011 – Security forces fired tear gas to disperse around 3,000 protesters in Tahrir Square.
Evidence of Yemen bombing uncovered
AlJazeera 28 Jun 2011 – Exclusive report shows shelling by government forces of villages surrounding the capital, Sanaa.
Saudis to pull some troops out of Bahrain
AlJazeera 28 Jun 2011 – Officials confirm “redeployment” plan, but say there are no moves for a full withdrawal of Gulf forces.
Lebanon awaits Hariri-murder indictments
AlJazeera 28 Jun 2011 – Special tribunal probing murder of ex-premier Rafiq al-Hariri expected to announce charges ‘this week or the next’.
Libyan rebels seize Gaddafi weapons depot
AlJazeera 28 Jun 2011 – Capture of munitions dump seen as a big boost for the fighters, whose road to Tripoli remains rocky, however.
Egypt court orders local councils dissolved
AlJazeera 28 Jun 2011 – Ruling follows calls by protesters to dismantle local bodies, as they were allegedly filled with Mubarak loyalists.
Gaza flotilla ship ‘sabotaged by divers’
AlJazeera 28 Jun 2011 – Activists say Swedish ship due to join attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza has been damaged in Greek port.
Netanyahu Responds to Questions From Arab Youth Via YouTube
PNN – Tel Aviv – Fadi Yacoub/PNN Exclusive ‚Äì In his first responses to questions from Arab youth via the Internet, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that this new form of communication is…
Israeli Troops Arrest 23 including Journalist and Parliamentarian in Raids
PNN – Ramallah ‚Äì PNN ‚ÄìOn Monday and Tuesday during overnight and morning military raids targeting a number of West Bank communities, Israeli troops arrested 23 Palestinian citizens including a parliamentarian and a journalist….
British MPs Show Support for Gaza Flotilla
PNN – London – PNN – British MPs have voiced their support for the flotilla to Gaza which is due to set sail in the coming days, says the British Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Parliamentarians…
During Meeting with German Representatives, Erekat Urges Europe to Recognise Palestinian state.
PNN – Jericho ‚Äì PNN ‚Äì Member of the Central Federal Committee, Dr Saab Erekat, called upon all European countries to recognise the Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its…
Israeli Video Blog Shown to be a Hoax
PNN – Tel Aviv ‚Äì PNN ‚Äì A YouTube video with a man calling himself an American gay rights activist disillusioned with the Gaza flotilla campaign has been exposed as a hoax last week….
Flotilla Ship Sabotaged in Greece Say Activists
PNN – Athens – PNN – Activists planning to take part in the Gaza-bound flotilla said Tuesday that their ship was sabotaged while docked in a Greek harbor, reported the Associated Press. The Juliano…
International Solidarity Movement
Gaza flotilla activists: One of our ships was sabotaged
6/28/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – Ha’aretz, Amira Hass – One of the ships due to participate in the Gaza flotilla was deliberately tampered with while it was docked in Greece’s Piraeus port, Gaza flotilla activists told Haaretz on Monday. The ship, due to carry Greek, Norwegian, and Swedish passengers to Gaza, was found with its propeller shaft…. Related: Source
International solidarity and history in the making
6/28/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – Codepink, Medea Benjamin – Today we had a great international press conference. There were representatives from Greece, Sweden, France, Norway, Canada, Spain, Turkey and of course, the U. S. The room was packed with press and passengers; there was really a feeling that we are part of something historic. Our US speakers were Ann Wright and….
Israel approves navy’s plan to attack Gaza aid flotilla
28 Jun 2011 – Gaza, (Pal Telegraph) – Israel’s security cabinet on Monday approved the navy’s plans to prevent an international aid flotilla from breaching the naval blockade on the Gaza Strip, local media said.
Israel denies Salfit farmers access to their lands
28 Jun 2011 – West Bank, (Pal telegraph)-Israeli bulldozers invaded Tuesday the village of Dier Esta in Salfit and started razing operations to agricultural lands uprooting 200 olive trees.
22 Palestinians arrested by Israel in WB
28 Jun 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli army lunched yesterday overnight an aggressive campaign of arrests in different parts of the West Bank.
Israel claims chemical materials on Gaza flotilla
28 Jun 2011 – Gaza Strip, (Pal Telegraph)-Israel accused participants of the Freedom Flotilla 2 of carrying dangerous chemical materials on the board of the ships in order to be used against Israeli soldiers in case of violent attack.
Iran shows shot-down US drones to Russian
The National 28 Jun 2011 – Revolutionary Guards say they reverse-engineered US navy drones shot down after they ‘violated’ Iranian-controlled territory.
Tensions ready to boil over into renewed clashes in Yemen
The National 28 Jun 2011 – After more than four months of often deadly anti-government protests, and with President Ali Abdullah Saleh still officially in power, the economic situation has become so bad that an outbreak of large scale and violent looting could take place in a matter of weeks.
Oman sends 55 protesters to jail for up to a year
The National 28 Jun 2011 – Protesters accused of offences including robbery, unlawful gathering, and vandalising government departments given sentences of from one to 12 months.
Palestinians lobby in the Netherlands for UN recognition vote
The National 28 Jun 2011 – Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas begins his visit to gain EU backing for recognition of Palestine at United Nations in September.
Saleh ‘to speak on TV within days’ as UN human rights team visits Yemen
The National 28 Jun 2011 – Government says team from Yemeni television headed to Riyadh on Monday to carry out an interview with the president, expected to be aired after Thursday.
Saudi troops begin to pull out of Bahrain
The National 28 Jun 2011 – 60 military vehicles and three buses said to be seen leaving as Saudi Arabia is due to begin a partial withdrawal on Monday of its 1,200 National Guard troops in Bahrain, leaving a smaller, residual emergency force in place.
Dissidents’ conference in Damascus hotel gives Syria some hope
The National 28 Jun 2011 – Opposition groups agree meeting sanctioned by regime had been a success in producing a concluding statement that all activists could unite around, pledging to continue the peaceful struggle for democracy.
Arab nations face growing crisis in trying to keep down price of bread
The National 28 Jun 2011 – Tunisia, like its neighbours, faces the wrath of its people if it cannot contain food prices. But experts say spending on subsidies is not sustainable.
Gaza aid flotilla organisers slam Israeli claims of plan for violence
The National 28 Jun 2011 – Organisers insist all of the convoy’s participants have signed a non-violence declaration and say the allegations are an Israeli attempt to find an excuse to use violence against the activists.
Netanyahu responds to Rabbi Dov Lior’s arrest: Israeli law applies to all citizens
Ha’aretz – Prime minister’s response comes in light of arrest of Rabbi Dov Lior for endorsing book that justifies killing of non-Jews.
What will it take to green Israel’s cities?
Ha’aretz – While some ecological initiatives have been introduced in Israel’s urban areas over the last few years, the country is way behind its counterparts in the developing world.
Israel’s Justice Ministry: No one is above the law, even rabbis
Ha’aretz – Officials respond firmly to the attacks on Deputy State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan, following the arrest of Rabbi Dov Lior Monday on suspicion of incitement.
Livni: Israel must maintain itself as a law-abiding state
Ha’aretz – Kadima party leader criticizes Netanyahu for not defending legal authorities, a day after the arrest of senior rabbi led to widespread protests by right-wing demonstrators.
IDF chief: Israel is prepared for challenges such as the Gaza flotilla
Ha’aretz – Chief of Staff Benny Gantz tells audience at an IDF ceremony flotilla is ‘a provocation’ and ‘attempt to de-legitimize Israel’; Defense Minister Ehud Barak says flotilla organizers should work for ‘release of Gilad Shalit’ at same event.
Palestinian PM: UN recognition of state will just be symbolic victory
Ha’aretz – Palestinian PM expresses skepticism of UN bid, saying attaining recognition will not change the reality of the Israeli occupation.
Britain’s Mideast minister: It is unwise to challenge Israel with a flotilla to Gaza
Ha’aretz – U.K. Deputy Foreign Minister Alistair Burt expresses concern about the situation in Gaza but says aid should not be delivered through ‘a sea journey’, stresses Israel, Palestinians must take risks to renew negotiations.
U.S., EU to present Mideast peace plan in last push to prevent Palestinian UN bid
Ha’aretz – Mideast Quartet to hold summit in Washington on July 11 and present new international peace plan as alternative to the Palestinian move.
Netanyahu to Abbas: Accept Israel as Jewish state – it’s a basic demand for peace
Ha’aretz – Prime minister tells Jewish Agency trustees that he has already declared readiness to accept the creation of a Palestinian state, but now it is the Palestinian president’s turn to voice compromise.
Did Netanyahu’s office distribute a fake video against Gaza flotilla?
Ha’aretz – YouTube video features man who claims he is a gay and human rights activist who was denied joining Gaza flotilla because his group does not serve interest of organizers.
Iran test fires long-range missiles capable of striking Israel, U.S. bases
Ha’aretz – On second day of war games, the Islamic Republic fired 14 missiles in an exercise intended to ‘show preparedness’ for Israeli or American attack.
Gaza flotilla organizer: We have no intention of attacking IDF soldiers
Ha’aretz – Israeli officials say passengers may be stowing chemicals on ships to be used against IDF soldiers and have threatened to ‘spill their blood.’
Israel’s Defense Ministry proposes confiscating boats that breach Gaza blockade
Ha’aretz – Government warns of two passengers’ alleged ties to Hamas, claims others have smuggled ‘chemicals’ aboard.
Ex-Egyptian TV star frustrated with post-Mubarak progress
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Shahira Amin, who resigned in solidarity with protesters, hopes for more laws protecting journalists, freedom of press.
UNIFIL convoy comes under hail of stones in south Lebanon
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Two peacekeepers lightly wounded, several vehicles damaged as resident throw rocks in town of Srifa.
Ohio Congressman visits Assad on ‘fact-finding mission’
Jerusalem Post 29 Jun 2011 – Ex-presidential candidate, anti-war stalwart Dennis Kucinich explores possibilities for “peaceful solution” to internal strife in Syria.
PA asks Arab FMs to hold meeting on statehood bid
Jerusalem Post 28 Jun 2011 – Palestinians hoping to win the backing of as many Arab countries as possible for the statehood bid; Erekat lobbies EU for support.
‘Zahar: Talks on unity gov’t have reached a standstill’
Jerusalem Post 28 Jun 2011 – Hamas official says talks stalled over new gov’t’s leadership, ‘ad-Dustour’ reports; others in Hamas say it is too soon to “jump to conclusions.”
‘Egyptian curricula states Jews, Christians are infidels’
Jerusalem Post 28 Jun 2011 – Israeli think tank says drastic reforms are needed in Egyptian schools in order to comply with UNESCO standards.
Israel steps up campaign to stop flotilla sailing to Gaza in defiance of blockade
The Guardian 28 Jun 2011 – Organisers say ships carrying humanitarian aid and peace activists, not ‘extremists’ as claimed by Israeli intelligence Israel has stepped up its campaign to stop a flotilla of ships breaching its blockade of Gaza by accusing some…
MIDEAST: A Zionist Way to Back Palestinians
IPS To many people Rabbi Arik Ascherman would appear to be a contradiction in terms. He is an ardent Zionist and religious Jew who believes that God made a covenant with the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. But the core of Ascherman’s Zionist ideology revolves around fighting for human…
Cooperation Key to ICC Libya Warrants
IPS The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants Monday for the arrest of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, his son Seif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, and the Libyan chief of intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, for crimes against humanity.
Israeli Army arrests 23 Palestinians, including two officials
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – Israeli forces operating in various West Bank cities arrested 23 Palestinians, including a Hamas legislator and a member of Palestine National Council (PNC), Palestinian and Israeli security sources said. The Palestinian sources said that the Israeli forces arrested Hamas legislator Nasser Abduljawad from his home in the village of Deir Ballout, to the west…
300 Trees uprooted in Salfit village by IOF
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – Today, 28 June, the Israeli Occupation Forces uprooted 300 olive trees in the Palestinian village of Deir Estia in the Salfit district of the West Bank. MP Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, said that the destruction of lands and uprooting hundreds of olive trees in Deir Estia are heinous…
Greece: 48 hours that prepare the political general strike!
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – Today the Greek trade unions embarked on a 48-hour general strike against the austerity measures which are being debated today and are to be voted on tomorrow. Papandreou says the cuts and privatisations are the only way of rebalancing Greece’s finances, but the workers and youth on the streets have other ideas. The Greek…
US praises Syria for allowing opposition meeting
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – The Syrian regime’s authorization of an opposition meeting is a “move in the right direction,” but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad still needs to go further, the United States said Tuesday. About 160 dissidents, several of whom have spent years in jail as political prisoners, gathered Monday, prompting the State Department to say it was “…
Gaza children send messages to Sderot on kites
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – Children in Gaza released kites on Tuesday carrying messages to residents of Sderot across the border in Israel. The kites carried messages urging Israel to end its siege of Gaza. Fourteen-year-old Einas Naim told Ma’an she hoped residents of Sderot would understand the messages. “I came to send messages to the residents of the…
It Takes People On the Outside: Prestigious Author Alice Walker to Confront Israeli Naval Blockade of Gaza on U.S. Aid Ship
Uruknet Israel continues to threaten a group of international activists planning to sail to Gaza this week with humanitarian aid. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said participants in the 10-boat flotilla are seeking “confrontation and blood.” Last year, Israeli forces killed nine people aboard the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara. Meanwhile, activists say one of the 10 boats scheduled to sail…
Former Israeli combat pilot takes part in Freedom Flotilla 2
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – Reports in Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth claim that a former Israeli Air Force commander is taking part in Freedom Flotilla 2 heading for Gaza. The newspaper noted that former combat pilot Yonatan Shapira ended his service in the Israeli Air Force when he refused to bomb Palestinian residential and civilian areas following the 2002…
Syrian ‘street’ slams opposition meeting under regime ‘banner’
Uruknet June 28, 2011 – Activists behind street protests in Syria criticised on Tuesday a meeting of opposition figures they said was being used by the regime as a way to build a “civilised and legitimate image.” “As a matter of principle, the Coordination Committees of the Syrian Revolution condemn any meeting or congress held under the banner of…
Knesset to vote on law forcing Palestinians to cover demolition costs
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – The Israeli Knesset’s Law Constitution and Justice Committee has passed a draft law forcing Palestinians to cover the costs of home demolitions issued against them without recourse to the courts. Israeli Radio reported that the committee agreed not to empower the West Bank regional commander to apply the law there, in opposition to the…
U.S., Israel escalate threats against flotilla, including U.S. citizens
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – A co-founder of the right-wing blog RedState (and former Bush speechwriter) created a mini-controversy over the weekend when he issued a sociopathic endorsement of Israel’s possible shooting of his fellow unarmed citizens on a flotilla currently sailing to Gaza; that flotilla is trying to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gazans and protest the ongoing Israeli…
Video: Welcome To USA Journalists Arrested for Filming Public Meeting
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – Journalist Pete Tucker and Reason.tv producer Jim Epstein were arrested at a meeting of the D.C. Taxi Commission for taking pictures and recording the event.
Petraeus says torture an option for US
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – David Petraeus, Barack Obama’s choice to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency, says the US should consider using special interrogation techniques when a captive is withholding information that is immediately needed to save lives. the vast majority of cases, General Petraeus said, the ”humane” questioning standards mandated by the US Army…
Post-Mubarak Egypt Inches Towards Iran
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – – Based on several recent statements by Egyptian and Iranian officials, Cairo and Tehran appear closer than ever to restoring diplomatic ties following a 31-year hiatus. “The Egyptian foreign minister and the Islamic Republic of Iran have announced their readiness to expand diplomatic relations between the two countries,” Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi…
Shadow War in Yemen Likely to Intensify
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – …The Obama administration, following imperial policy very closely, has two primary concerns regarding this chaotic power vacuum in Yemen. On the one hand, allowing things to play out on their own is out of the question because Washington intends to have a dependent regime they can control take Saleh’s place. Washington also intends to…
Why Socialists should support the boycott of Israel: a response to the Socialist Party of Australia
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – Dear friends, in April, on the eve of the vote by the Marrickville Council in Sydney to rescind their support for BDS, the Socialist Party of Australia issued a statement on their Yarra Socialist website opposing BDS. In response to the Socialist Party of Australia’s position – a position which is held by the…
Former Bush Speechwriter: Shooting People On Gaza Flotilla “OK” Because Participants Are Like Nazis
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – This week the second international Freedom Flotilla will embark to Gaza from several ports in Europe. The flotilla represents an act of non-violent civil disobedience aimed at ending Israel’s four-year-long illegal blockade of the tiny strip of land populated by 1.6 million Palestinians. At least ten ships carrying dignitaries, doctors, professors, artists, journalists, and…
Israel: Flotilla will be prevented from reaching Gaza
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – Israel has declared that the Freedom Flotilla 2 will not be allowed to enter into the besieged Gaza Strip by sea. Israeli and Egyptian officials have agreed that the Flotilla will be allowed to unload its cargo at the Egyptian port El-Arish, where the humanitarian goods will be transferred by land into Gaza after…
Gaza, we are coming
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – GAZA, WE ARE COMING – Despite pressure and threats of violence, flotilla will sail. On Saturday, 25 June, the French boat, Dignity / Karama, left the port of l’ile Rousse in Corsica, France, to meet up with at least nine other vessels sailing to Gaza to challenge Israel’s illegal blockade. Israel’s best efforts to stop…
WikiLeaks and the Guant?°namo Prisoners Released from 2002 to 2004 (Part One of Ten)
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – In late April, WikiLeaks released its latest treasure trove of classified US documents, a set of 765 Detainee Assessment Briefs (DABs) from the US prison at Guant?°namo Bay, Cuba. Compiled between 2002 and January 2009 by the Joint Task Force that has primary responsibility for their detention and interrogation of the prisoners, these detailed…
Obama Admin Warns of “Fines and Incarceration” if U.S. Citizens Set Sail with Gaza Aid Flotilla
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – A group of U.S. citizens is rejecting the Obama administration’s attempt to thwart their aid mission to the Gaza Strip, which threatens to leave them stranded in Greece. They are set to sail from a Greek port on a U.S.-flagged ship called “The Audacity of Hope,” part of an international humanitarian flotilla carrying aid…
Million man march of Aleppo and Syrian students on 30 June
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – We, the youth and students of Syria from all governorates, will go out on 30 June in Damascus, Aleppo and Homs. We are also coordinating for massive crowds on 30 June for students to be a historical day against the criminal terrorist regime in Damascus. Students of colleges of Law, Economy and Biology will…
Libya’s Gaddafi: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea? Part II
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – …Assad of Syria has so far done worse than Gaddafi, but nothing more than a mere declaration of sanctions against him is what the West has done. In a communique’ issued at the end of a two-day summit, all the G8 could do was to criticize Syria’s deadly crackdown on protesters, and to make…
Gaza-bound ship “Juliano” found sabotaged in Greek port
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – A ship due to join the Gaza Freedom Flotilla was sabotaged in the Greek port of Piraeus today according to organizers. A Swedish-language statement issued by Ship to Gaza described damage to the ship’s propeller shaft. Here is a rapid translation of the statement by The Electronic Intifada: At 5.30 pm Swedish time on…
Bahrain’s opposition to boycott dialogue, elections
Uruknet June 27, 2011 – Bahrain’s largest Shiite opposition group says it will boycott the national dialogue next month and the September parliament elections in protest against the authorities for “not doing enough.” Al Wefaq National Islamic Society said it was in no mood to give in to the authorities’ call for a national dialogue starting July 1st that…
Egypt police fire teargas at protesting youths
Daily Star 29 Jun 2011 Police fired teargas in Cairo’s Tahrir Square overnight at hundreds of Egyptian youths, some of whom threw stones and demanded that trials of former senior officials proceed more swiftly.
Yemen may use force to retake oil pipeline: official
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Yemen is considering using force to secure and repair its main oil pipeline, blown up in an attack by angry tribesmen in mid-March, a senior Yemeni official told Reuters Tuesday.
U.S. sees progress in Syria after activists meet
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 The United States said Tuesday that Syria’s move to allow activists to meet to discuss political change was a positive step but that the government needed to do more to launch real reforms.
Most Egyptians would keep peace with Israel: poll
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Two-thirds of Egyptians think their country should keep a peace treaty with its neighbor Israel, a government poll indicated Tuesday.
Egypt to dissolve Mubarak-linked councils
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 An Egyptian court Tuesday ordered the dissolution of local councils elected under ousted President Hosni Mubarak, after protesters called for remnants of the old political order to be dismantled.
Iranians ‘showed Russia downed U.S. drones’
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Iran has shown Russia U.S. drones it shot down over the Gulf, Revolutionary Guards aerospace commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hadjizadeh was quoted as saying Tuesday.
Iran fires 14 missiles in 2nd day of war games
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Iran’s Revolutionary Guards tested 14 missiles Tuesday, the second day of war games intended as a show of strength toward the Islamic Republic’s enemies Israel and the United States.
Oman sentences 55 demonstrators
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 A court in Oman sentenced 55 people to prison terms ranging from one month to one year Tuesday for taking part in protests demanding jobs, the public prosecutor said.
Lawmakers’ boycott mars start of new term for Turkey’s Erdogan
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s third term got off to a turbulent start Tuesday when the main opposition party and minority Kurds boycotted parliament’s swearing-in to protest against bans on elected candidates.
Tunisia Islamists arrested after clashes
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Tunisian police arrested 26 Islamists Tuesday after they clashed with a group of lawyers, a witness and a government official said, as tensions rise over the country’s post-revolutionary future.
UAE mulls allowing more of its citizens to vote in elections
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 The United Arab Emirates may consider extending the vote to more of its citizens, a senior official was quoted as saying Tuesday, amid protests across the region demanding a greater say in government.
Saudi troops to start leaving Bahrain
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Saudi Arabia will withdraw most of its forces from neighboring state Bahrain, where they helped quell protests in March, a Bahrain government source said Tuesday.
Lieberman: Flotilla activists seek confrontation and blood
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday participants in an aid flotilla planning to challenge an Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip were seeking confrontation and blood.
Palestinian prime minister skeptical of bid for U.N. recognition
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 The Palestinians’ bid to seek U.N. recognition of a state will just be a symbolic victory and will not change the reality of Israeli occupation, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Tuesday.
ICC prosecutor sees Gadhafi endgame
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor said Tuesday it could be game over within months for Moammar Gadhafi, but China reacted cautiously to the issuing of an arrest warrant for the Libyan leader on charges of…
UAE mulls expanding electoral roll further: paper
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 The United Arab Emirates may consider extending the vote to more of its citizens, a senior official was quoted as saying Tuesday, amid protests across the region demanding a greater say in government.
Egypt accepts retrial for al-Qaeda chief’s brother
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 An Egyptian military court Tuesday accepted a retrial for Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri’s brother, who had been condemned to death in absentia on terror-related charges, a military source said.
Syrian refugees in Turkey down to 10,700
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 The number of Syrian refugees taking shelter in tent cities in Turkey has decreased to 10,757 after several hundred people turned back home, Turkish officials said Tuesday.
Israel ranks among third world countries for human trafficking: report
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Israel ranks alongside Botswana, Cambodia and Sri Lanka for being a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking, according to the US state department’s annual Trafficking in Persons report.
Iran says to counter ‘inhuman’ airline sanctions
Daily Star 28 Jun 2011 Iran will take action against inhuman sanctions that make it harder for its passenger planes to refuel abroad and buy spare parts, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
French senator calls MKs ‘colonialists’
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – Members of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee were assaulted by a French senator Tuesday while meeting with a number of senators in Paris. Among other … ….
UNRWA launches Gaza summer camp
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has opened its annual Gaza summer camp. The events, to last until the end of July, will be attended by around 250,000 children and … ….
German concentration camp charges entry fee
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – Up until recently all concentration camps in Germany were official government sites open to the public for the purpose of educating visitors about the Holocaust. … ….
Organizers: Israeli divers harmed flotilla ship
YNet News, 29 Jun 2011 – Organizers of a flotilla scheduled to set sail for Gaza soon claim Israeli Navy divers have sabotaged one of the ships meant to take part in the flotilla, which is … ….
Lior: Police ambushed me like KGB
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – Rabbi Dov Lior said Tuesday that police had “ambushed” him a day earlier “like the Bolsheviks, like the KGB”. He added that he had been shocked by his arrest, on … ….
Bilin’s next battle: Settlement
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – Following the IDF’s dismantling of a separation fence running through Bilin, residents of the West Bank village have decided to adopt a new battle. Ynet learned … ….
Russian military test-fires new missile
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – Russia’s navy successfully test-fired an advanced ballistic missile from a new-generation nuclear submarine Tuesday following a string of failed tests that dimmed the … ….
Deputy prosecutor fears rightist attacks
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – Law enforcement source says Shai Nitzan’s family living in fear of retaliation….
Knesset targeted by hackers
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – ‘Social activists’ and global hackers, Anonymous, announce intention to hit….
‘Mohammed is dead’ sprayed on home
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – Palestinian village of Beit Ilu sustains yet another attack by vandals in form….
Fewer than 300 join flotilla
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – Major blow to organizers with number of activists failing to meet expectations,….
Justice Ministry: Rabbis not above law
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – In unusual move, ministry issues statement responding to upheaval which followed….
Katsav: Justice better served by my acquittal
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – Former president files appeal over rape conviction, claims it should be….
Israel-Turkey municipal leaders talk diplomacy
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – COPPEM convention brings together mayors, local authority representatives from….
‘State prosecutor obsessed with my case’
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert tells court Moshe Lador’s conduct in his case….
Hamas-Fatah deal at impasse
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – Mahmoud al-Zahar says Gaza-Ramallah reconciliation efforts stuck over structure….
UNESCO censures Israel over Mughrabi Bridge
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – World Heritage Committee calls on Israel to stop archeological excavations in….
Livni blasts Netanyahu over ‘raging incitement’
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – Furor over arrest of Kirya Arba rabbi still raging: Opposition chairwoman says….
Human trafficking report ranks Israel with 3rd world nations
YNet News, 28 Jun 2011 – US State Department annual Trafficking in Persons report paints grim picture of….
Palestinian Information Center
IOA bulldozes land in Silwan
PIC – 28/06/2011 – 08:43 AM
IOF soldiers detain MP, human rights activists in fresh campaign of arrests
PIC – 28/06/2011 – 08:46 AM
Mossad agents sabotage flotilla ship engine
PIC – 28/06/2011 – 09:06 AM
IOF soldiers quell peaceful march, detain 10 participants
PIC – 28/06/2011 – 09:49 AM
IOA isolates oldest serving prisoner in the world
PIC – 28/06/2011 – 10:25 AM
IOF soldiers destroy tens of Palestinian olive trees
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) bulldozed tens of Palestinian olive trees in Deir Estiya village west of Salfit city on Tuesday.
Gaza woman calls on Qatar Emir to save her husband
PIC – The wife of Iyad Ali Hassan Salim has called on the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamas bin Khalifa Al Thani to open the country’s doors to her husband as he desperately needs treatment.
Bahar says arrest of West Bank MP aimed at disrupting unity deal
PIC – Deputy Speaker of the PLC Ahmed Bahar has called Israel’s arrest of PLC member Nasser Abdul-Jawwad a bid to disrupt the PLC, which was reactivated after the signing of the national unity deal.
Qassam Brigades: Pro-Shalit statement ignores suffering of Palestinian prisoners
PIC – The joint statement by Israeli and Palestinian rights groups urging Hamas to release Gilad Shalit ignores the suffering of thousands of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, Hamas’s armed wing said.
Resheq denies Hamas-Fatah agreement on prime minister
PIC – Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Resheq has denied rumors that Fatah and Hamas have reached an agreement on who will take the prime ministry post in the transition government ahead of elections.
Palestinian prisoners to go on hunger strike en masse
PIC – More than 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation jails have decided to go on a single day hunger strike on 3rd of July to protest the IOA repressive policy against them.
PA court sentences 5 Hamas cadres
PIC – A Fatah-controlled court in Al-Khalil city on Tuesday passed a one and a half year sentence on five Hamas cadres, including one still held in Israeli jail, in blatant disregard of the reconciliation.
IOF confiscates hundreds of Ramallah dunums
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) confiscated hundreds of Palestinian dunums surrounding the villages of Mazra’a Gharbiya and Janiya to the west of Ramallah city, citizens told the PIC on Tuesday.
More than third of Palestinian prisoners denied visitation rights
PIC – Prisoner affairs expert Abdul-Nasser Farwana has said that more than a third of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons have been denied the right to family visits.
Ban Ki-moon Commends Readiness of PA Institutions, Supports Two-State Solution
WAFA
Al-Hourani Calls on Danish Government to Recognize Palestinian State
WAFA
Israeli Army Detains Tawjihi Students in Bethlehem
WAFA
Israeli Soldiers Uproot 300 Olive Trees in Salfit
WAFA
Erekat Calls Europe to Recognize Palestinian State
WAFA
Newspapers Review: Freedom Flotilla, UN Recognition of Palestinian State
WAFA
Weather Forecast: Cloudy, Mild with Average Temperature
WAFA
“After you Brother!” Qadaffi Stays and Obama Leaves?
Intifada-Palestine: 28 Jun 2011 – Whether Obama will be reelected is increasingly uncertain. by Dr. Franklin Lamb (Tripoli, Libya) The White House is reportedly becoming reconciled to the fact that Qaddafi may remain in the Libyan leadership. The 6/27/11 International Criminal Courts (ICC) arrest warrants issued… more
Response to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams from Palestinian Christians
Intifada-Palestine: 28 Jun 2011 – Following are responses to erroneous statements made by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, citing anti-Christian Muslim extremism as the primary cause of the Palestinian Christian exodus from the Holy Land. The first response is from Sabeel founder/director Naim Ateek in… more
Libya rebels seize Kadafi arms depot
LA Times 28 Jun 2011 – After two opposition fighters are killed and government forces flee, rebels plunder the vast arsenal that residents had avoided for fear of the Libyan leader’s wrath. Nothing but a flimsy barbed wire fence surrounds a massive arsenal of ammunition and weapons stockpiled here in the…
Egyptian policeman sentenced to death for killing protesters
LA Times 27 Jun 2011 – Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Monem, still at large, was sentenced for firing at protesters gathered a Cairo police station, killing 23. Egyptians brace for more trials of officials from the former regime, including ousted President Hosni Mubarak in August. The first Egyptian police officer sentenced to…
Arrest warrant for Kadafi may complicate Libya conflict
LA Times 27 Jun 2011 – The move by the International Criminal Court further isolates the Libyan leader but may make him more reluctant to give up power. The international arrest warrant for crimes against humanity issued against Moammar Kadafi and members of his family has further isolated the Libyan leader,…
Egyptian Security Forces Clash With Protesters
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – Egyptian security forces firing tear gas clashed with around 3,000 rock-throwing protesters in central Cairo late Tuesday, leaving dozens injured in the latest unrest to rattle the country.
Saudi Forces Withdrawing From Bahrain
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – The majority of Saudi troops would leave on Monday, although a small number would remain in Bahrain, a Saudi official said.
In Fleeing Security Forces, Syrians Get an Unexpected Taste of Freedom
New York Times 28 Jun 2011 – Driven into refugee camps, many Syrians discovered a degree of liberty in their makeshift homes on the border with Turkey.
Gaza Journal: A Bountiful Harvest, Rooted in a Former Settlement’s Soil
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – The farms on a former Jewish settlement are providing jobs for 500 people as well as fruits and vegetables for large segments of Gaza’s 1.6 million inhabitants.
China Opens Oil Field in Iraq
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – The China National Petroleum Corporation has begun operations at the Al Ahdab oil field, the first major new area to start production in 20 years.
Israeli Advocacy Group Helps Delay Departure of Gaza-Bound Flotilla
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – Two of the ships have been held in Greece following a legal complaint by Shurat HaDin-Israel Law Center suggesting that some of the ships might be lacking insurance or improperly registered.
World Briefing | ASIA: Iran: Guards Corps Tests Missiles as a Commander Rattles Sabers
New York Times 29 Jun 2011 – The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps tested 14 surface-to-surface missiles on Tuesday, which a commander said would let them strike at Israel or nearby American interests.
Egyptian Court Orders Dissolution of Mubarak-Era Local Councils
New York Times 28 Jun 2011 – The order was a major step toward dismantling one of the last political institutions installed by the former president, Hosni Mubarak.
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (16-22 June 2011)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Wikimania 2011 Sponsored by Israeli-Government Company that “Develops East Jerusalem”
Alternative Information Center – Wikimania, the annual conference of the Wikimedia community to be held in the Israeli city of Haifa this August, is to be partially sponsored by the East Jerusalem Development Company (EJDC), an Israeli government-owned company responsible…
ICC orders arrest of Gaddafi as NATO bombings reach 100th day
WSWS – The arrest warrant against Gaddafi only underscores the role of the International Criminal Court as an instrument of the US and the other major imperialist powers.
Hacker group ‘Anonymous’ prepares DDOS attack on the Israeli Knesset
Mondoweiss – Operation Intifada: Hacker Group Anonymous Prepares For DDOS Attack On Israel Parliament The latest target of Operation Anonymous, which following the dissolution of LulzSec is the last substantial non-amorphous hacker collective left out there, could lead to some substantial geopolitical fallout. That is because the target…
Further Adventures of Omer Gershon and the Flotilla Haters
Tikun Olam – I usually don’t go slumming through the darker passages of the demimonde, as I’ve passed what Shakespeare called my “salad days.” But Omer Gershon, you forced me to. I swear this guy is amazing. He’s been called an actor and a marketer, which gives him far…
Gaza rallies in support of the Freedom Flotilla
Mondoweiss – http://twitter.com/ For Flotilla II from Gaza Strip from Mohammed Al Majdalawi on Vimeo . Meanwhile, the US Boat to Gaza issued to following press release to rebut Israeli claims that flotilla members intend to ” use violence and even ‘shed blood of soldiers.’ “: U.S. Boat Rejects Israeli Army…
Bent propeller shafts in Athens
Mondoweiss – Video from Greece is said to show two sabotaged propellers on a flotilla boat. Badly bent shafts. Greek translator in the house? Yes: Translation below the video! Today we came to test the vessel, we fueled it, we started the engines and at some point …… trying,…
Pawlenty says Obama’s ‘anti-Israel attitude’ ‘breaks my heart’ (in New York… unh, what’s his game?)
Mondoweiss – Republican Presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty just spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and positioned himself as a hawk. He’s all in favor of the Arab spring. Except when it comes to Israel. Supports Netanyahu over Obama on Palestinian borders (as if this…
‘Forward’ backward, Greenwald forward
Mondoweiss – The Forward, which I thought was a progressive publication, gives a platform to someone from the Israel Project to support the blockade of Gaza and declare that some flotilla passengers “are clearly seeking a repetition of last year’s bloody showdown.” Blood’s the buzzword. Israeli Foreign Minister…
Israeli Government Hand in Hoax Anti-Flotilla Video
Tikun Olam – It’s beginning to appear that virtually every statement, every tweet, every Facebook Wall posting from the Israeli government about the Flotilla is either steeped in fraud or simply wrong. Earlier today, I posted about what Dena Shunra has aptly called an IDF blood libel against the…
A bad day for Israeli democracy
The Only Democracy? JVP 28 Jun 2011 – Coalition of Women for Peace, whose campaign we have featured before on this site, have a new video, and sadly, a new update on the progress of the “Boycott Bill” working its way through the Israeli Knesset. H/t to ACRI for the blog title, it came…
Syria’s UK ambassador summoned
BBC 28 Jun 2011 – Syria’s ambassador in London is summoned to the Foreign Office after claims a diplomat has been intimidating Syrians living in the UK.
Egypt anger at Mickey Mouse tweet
BBC 28 Jun 2011 – Egyptian conservatives are angered as Christian billionaire Naguib Sawiris tweets images of Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Islamic dress.
Driving change
BBC 27 Jun 2011 – Saudi women turn to social media for right to drive
Articles
The truth behind another Israeli expulsion trick
Amira Hass, Sabbah Report6/28/2011
Of all places, it is in Azzariyeh, east of Jerusalem, that one can really learn to appreciate the activities of Palestinian law-enforcement authorities in cities like Ramallah and Nablus. In those cities, Palestinian security forces are seen as authority figures who are trying to protect and serve Palestinian citizens, not just as extensions of Fatah or subcontractors of the Israel Defense Forces or the Shin Bet security service.
Unlike Ramallah and Nablus, which are categorized as “A” areas, Azzariyeh and its neighbors Sawahra and Abu Dis are holed up in an enclave of type “B”, where the IDF does not allow the Palestinian police to be fully functional. The interim Oslo 2 agreement determines that the Palestinian Authority is responsible for maintaining public order in Area B, but in the same breath it limits the PA’s authority and the means by which it can protect the people from disruptions of public order. Almost every action taken by the Palestinian police in Area B requires IDF approval.
And Israel, which has no inhibitions about violating key clauses of the agreement, is particularly meticulous here: The number of police officers is limited, police are prohibited from moving from a makeshift police station in an apartment building to a proper one, they are not allowed to carry weapons or wear uniforms, and they are prohibited from bringing in reinforcements on their own to locate drug or weapons dealers or to deliver subpoenas. Is it any wonder that the Azzariyeh-Abu Dis enclave has become a place of refuge for the outlaws of the West Bank? Not that this enclave has not had its share of troubles. Since it was shut off by the wall in 2005, all its ties with its natural and immediate urban center, East Jerusalem, have been severed. The enclave’s isolation, and the impoverishment and despair to which it gave rise, are as painful as a fresh burn. more.. e-mail
US invigorates policy at Gaza’s expense
Ramzy Baroud, Asia Times6/29/2011
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made a series of stern and fiery statements recently, giving the impression that war is somehow on us once again. Oddly, Clinton’s sudden reappearance on the Middle East diplomacy scene was triggered by the brave attempts of peace activists to break the siege on Gaza.
In recent months, as Arab nations settled old scores with their insufferable dictators, US foreign policy started taking a backseat. Attempts at swaying Arab revolts teetered between bashful diplomatic efforts to sustain US interests – as was the case with Yemen – and military intervention, as in Libya, which is still being marketed to the US public as a humanitarian intervention, as opposed to the war it actually is.
The indecisiveness and double-standards on display are hardly new.
The US’s stance during the Tunisian popular revolution ranged between complete lack of interest (when the protests began brewing in December 2010), to sudden enthusiasm for freedom and democracy (when the revolts led to the ousting of longtime president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali on January 14).
The same foreign policy pendulum repeatedly swung both ways during the Egyptian revolution. The US political definitions of Hosni Mubarak shifted from that of a friendly leader to that of a loathsome dictator who had to go for the sake of Egyptian democracy.more.. e-mail
Encounter in Jerusalem
Mats Svensson, CounterPunch 6/27/2011
“I am Just Wondering How You Are Doing”
Jerusalem.
It is early evening in Ram, a neighborhood in the outskirts of Jerusalem. The workers are on their way home to their families. The queue is long. I am sitting in my Audi, in the diplomats’ queue. I am alone, there’s no queue, but I’m waiting.
She stands twenty meters in front of me. Military clothing, with an AK4 over her shoulder. I watch her. Her movements, her face, her youth. A year or so older than my youngest daughter. I see her but she does not see me. She does not see the workers. She only sees her colleague, a boy in the same age as her. The boy is dressed in military clothes and an AK4 hanging nonchalantly over his shoulder.
A boy and a girl by a gate. But nobody gives them a coin for their troubles. No beautiful words, no looks of praise.
A boy and a girl about to become adults. They were just teenagers. Now they are playing power games. A boy and a girl who for a while forget where they are. Forget that they are at a checkpoint. Forget that they are maintaining apartheid, that they are separating Palestinians from Palestinians.
Instead they begin to flirt. Touch each other, nudge each other and turn their backs to reality. Point towards the queue of workers, say something, laugh. Meanwhile, the queue becomes longer and longer.
I don’t know what they are saying. See that the Palestinian workers are becoming annoyed. It is Thursday evening. After a long work week they want to return home for the weekend. They have nothing to do standing in this queue. more.. e-mail
Activists determined to sail despite sabotage, threats
Electronic Intifada: 28 Jun 2011 – Apostolis Fotiadis The Electronic Intifada ATHENS ( IPS ) – Activists are being confronted by Israeli authorities days before the international “Freedom Flotilla II — Stay Human” sets sail towards the Gaza Strip in an attempt to break the naval blockade Israel has imposed since 2007.more
No Turkish boat to Gaza as Ankara, Tel Aviv mend fences
Electronic Intifada: 28 Jun 2011 – Barbara Slavin The Electronic Intifada Washington, DC WASHINGTON ( IPS ) – Turkey and Israel are close to resolving their dispute over last year’s flotilla attack, but the partnership that existed between them for more than a decade will almost certainly stay submerged.more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 
Leave a comment