18 January, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
For The First Time, PLO Mission In DC Raises Palestinian Flag
IMEMC – Wednesday January 19, 2011 – 02:00, In a symbolic move towards the recognition of an independent Palestinian State, the Palestinian mission in Washington raised the Palestinian flag outside its office building.
UN and EU Call for Protection of Palestinians in Jerusalem
IMEMC – Tuesday January 18, 2011 – 16:58, According to a report by IRIN, UN agencies and European Union (EU) officials in the occupied Palestine are calling for the implementation of international humanitarian law to protect the Palestinian population in East Jerusalem from forced displacement.
President Medvedev to Confirm Russian Recognition of Palestine
IMEMC – Tuesday January 18, 2011 – 16:05, Prior to Russian president Dmitri Medvedev’s visit to the West Bank on Tuesday, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas called the trip “historic” and a top negotiator said he expected Medvedev to reaffirm his country’s recognition of an independent state of Palestine. Russia already recognizes a Palestinian state based on its 1967 borders, but this recognition dates from 1988 when it was part of the now-defunct Soviet Union.
European countries may recognize Palestinian state — Shin Bet
IMEMC – Tuesday January 18, 2011 – 15:27, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief Yuval Diskin said on Tuesday that he believed that international recognition of a Palestinian state will spread.
Interpal Replies to Report on Blacklisting of 163 Foreign Charities
IMEMC – Tuesday January 18, 2011 – 14:51, Interpal has responded in writing to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, published last week, regarding Israel’s ban on 163 foreign charities suspected of ‘supporting terrorism’, the Middle East Monitor revealed on Monday.
Three Youths Injured in Blast in Southern Gaza
IMEMC – Tuesday January 18, 2011 – 14:03, Three young Palestinians were injured on Tuesday morning after the explosion of an unknown ordnance in the southern Gaza strip, local sources reported.
Israeli BDS Group Takes Credit for Vanessa Paradis Cancellation
IMEMC – Tuesday January 18, 2011 – 13:43, Boycott From Within, Israeli based Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) group, is taking credit for the recent Tel Aviv appearance cancellation of the French pop star, Vanessa Paradis.
3 Palestinians Detained in Hebron-area by Israeli Forces
IMEMC – Tuesday January 18, 2011 – 13:14, On Tuesday morning, the homes of three men in the southern West Bank towns of Beit Ummar and Adh-Dhahiriya were raided and searched by Israeli forces, resulting in the men’s detention.
Ethiopians Seeking Israeli Citizenship Arrive in Israel
IMEMC – Tuesday January 18, 2011 – 12:56, A group of 175 Ethiopians who claim Jewish heritage arrived in Israel on Monday, with the intention of becoming citizens of the Jewish state.
According to Netanyahu Aides, Labor Party Exit will Help Advance Peace Process
IMEMC – Tuesday January 18, 2011 – 12:30, On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aides said the Prime Minister believes that the Labor Party split will actually help move forward the peace talks with the Palestinians.
1 killed as Israeli troops raid Gaza Strip
1/18/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli forces killed one Palestinian and injured two others on Tuesday in the northern Gaza Strip. Medics and witnesses said the three men were civilians, and that soldiers in an Israeli military post launched five shells towards the mainly agricultural area. Gaza medical services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya identified the…. Related: Palestinian killed on northern Gaza border, 2 injured
Bulk goods crossing marks one week closure
1/18/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — For the seventh day in a row, the bulk goods crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip has remained closed, following unofficial announcements that the terminal will shut permanently, leaving a single transfer point open for the delivery of goods into the besieged coastal enclave. Palestinian crossings liaison official Raed….
Rights group claims reform victory over PA justice system
1/18/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A Palestinian rights group on Tuesday said its campaign to prohibit Palestinian Authority military courts from prosecuting civilians in the West Bank had been successful. The Ramallah-based Al-Haq announced in a statement that following a three-year campaign, Palestinian General Intelligence officials decided that military arrest warrants would no longer be issued…. Related: Al-Haq
Palestinian killed on northern Gaza border, 2 injured
1/18/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli forces killed one Palestinian and injured two others on Tuesday in the Tal Abu Safiya area east of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. Medics said the three men were civilians, and that soldiers in an Israeli military post launched five shells towards the mainly agricultural area. Spokesman…. Related: 1 killed as Israeli troops raid Gaza Strip
Man threatens to torch himself in front of PA building
1/18/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A resident of the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Tuesday threatened to set himself on fire in front of the Palestinian Authority’s cabinet building. In apparent imitations of a Tunisian whose self-torching sparked a revolution, nine people have set themselves on fire across the Arab world, including three….
At UN, Arab draft resolution on settlements
1/18/2011 – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — Arab envoys at the UN decided to formally register a draft resolution requesting the condemnation of illegal settlement building in the West Bank at the Security Council before the end of Tuesday, Tunisia’s envoy Ghazi Jomaa, chairman of the Arab group, told reporters after their meeting. The Security Council is….
In photos: Tree memorial to commemorate prisoners
1/18/2011 – MaanImages / Khaleel Reash – In Qalqiliya, friends, family and loved ones of those detained in Israeli prisons gather to plant trees. Each tree in the project represents one of the more than 7,000 Palestinians jailed by Israel. The project began on 16 January 2011….
Russia affirms recognition of Palestine
1/18/2011 – JERICHO (Ma’an) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday reaffirmed Moscow’s commitment to an independent Palestinian state.” We have supported the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital since the last century, and we still support it,” Medvedev said, during his first official visit to Palestine. The….
Arab League praises PA’s diplomatic efforts
1/18/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Arab League chief Amr Mussa on Tuesday praised the Palestinian Authority’s diplomatic efforts to secure international recognition of a Palestinian state. PA Foreign Affairs Minister Riad Al-Malki updated Arab foreign ministers on diplomatic developments in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh, where leaders gathered ahead of an Arab League summit….
3 detained in Hebron-area overnight
1/18/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — The homes of three men in the southern West Bank towns of Beit Ummar and Adh-Dhahiriya were raided and searched by Israeli forces on Tuesday morning,local officials said. The heads of household were taken from the scenes, with locals saying the men were detained by the Israeli military. In a….
UK minister condemns latest Israeli settlement project
1/18/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — The UK’s Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt, touring the region for the first time as minister, called the latest plans to build 1,400 new Jewish-only homes in occupied Jerusalem “deeply unhelpful.”In a statement, the minister said that the UK has “always been clear that settlements are illegal and….
Jerusalem police detain son of prisoners’ rights activist
1/18/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) – Israeli police at dawn on Tuesday raided the Jerusalem home of Nasser Qaws, head of a prisoners’ center, and detained his teenage son. Qaws said his 16-year-old son and Fathi Esbitan, 15, were taken to a police station in the city for questioning. An Israeli police spokesman could not….
Hamas says PA detained 17 supporters
1/18/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas officials in the West Bank issued a statement on Tuesday saying Palestinian Authority’s security services detained 17 of the movement’s supporters. The party listed 17 individuals they said were detained in Bethlehem, Tulkarem, Qalqilya and Nablus. Ma’an could not independently verify the report….
Islamic Jihad to PA: Release our activists
1/18/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Two members of Islamic Jihad were detained by Palestinian Authority police without arrest warrants on Monday night, a statement from the party said, and demanded their immediate release. The men were said to have been detained in the Tulkarem region, and taken to the Juneid Prison in the northern West….
Analysts: Israel slides right in blow to peace
1/18/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) – Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s defection from the Labor party has pushed the Israeli government rightward, to the probable detriment of peace efforts, analysts say. Britain’s minister responsible for the Middle East warned Tuesday that Israel could find itself diplomatically isolated if peace efforts remained stalled. Barak’s departure….
Ma’an Network signs agreement with PalTel
1/18/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – Ma’an Network and the Palestinian telecommunications company PalTel on Monday signed an agreement to link Ma’an’s television studios. A network of fiber-optic connections will link the main studio in Bethlehem with Ma’an and Mix TV studios in the West Bank, Gaza and Haifa….
Former Palestinian ambassador dies in Jordan
1/18/2011 – TULKAREM (Ma’an) — Former Palestinian ambassador to Romania, India, and Yemen, Khalid Ash-Sheikh died on Monday evening in Jordan at the age of 66. Ash-Sheikh’s family said the official’s body would be brought from Jordan into the West Bank to be buried in Tulkarem where he was born. Ash-Sheikh was….
Lebanon crisis as Hariri murder indictment filed
1/18/2011 – THE HAGUE, the Netherlands (AFP) — The prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has filed his indictment for the 2005 murder of former premier Rafiq Hariri as Beirut’s neighbors backed new mediation to calm rising tensions. Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare submitted his long-awaited indictment under wraps, but speculation was rife that it names the…. Related: Lebanon tribunal charges under wraps as tensions rise
UK pledges £17 million to PA
1/18/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — UK Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt on Tuesday pledged ¬£17 million to support Palestinian Authority state-building. Meeting with PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Burt said he was impressed by the Ramallah premier’s improvements in security and progress towards creating an independent, viable Palestinian state “living in peace with a….
Al-Quds University seeks Israeli recognition of dentistry faculty
1/18/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Vice-president of Al-Quds University Hassan Dweik met with Israeli Health Ministry officials on Tuesday to request recognition for the university’s dentistry faculty. Dweik met the ministry’s director of dental health Shlomo Zusman following intensive efforts by the Arabs Dental Association in Israel, the organization’s secretary….
Lebanon tribunal charges under wraps as tensions rise
1/18/2011 – LEIDSCHENDAM, Netherlands (AFP) – The tribunal set up to try the killers of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri insisted Tuesday on keeping its first indictment under wraps as fears of violence rose on the streets of Beirut. The prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon warned that speculation on the indictment which he submitted on Monday and…. Related: Lebanon crisis as Hariri murder indictment filed
Haniyeh lays cornerstone in reconstruction project
1/18/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh inaugurated on Tuesday the first reconstruction project of a new initiative announced two days earlier to rebuild Gaza.” The first stage of this project includes building 1,000 residential units,” Haniyeh said during the brick-laying ceremony on Gaza’s Khalid Jum’a Street. He….
Bethlehem celebrates Armenian Christmas
1/18/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Armenian Christians gathered in Bethlehem on Tuesday to welcome their Jerusalem patriarch and celebrate the birth of Christ according to the eastern calendar. Patriarch Torkom Manoogian was received by a scout parade and several senior officials. Bethlehem’s mayor and governor, police chief Khaled At-Tamimi and Palestinian Authority Tourism Minister….
Palestinian hospital manager dies at 51
1/18/2011 – TULKAREM (Ma’an) — The manager of Tulkarem’s Thabet Thabet Hospital, Abdul Kareem Muhammad Naseef, died on Tuesday in Amman, Jordan. Naseef, 51, suffered a heart attack brought on by arthrosclerosis, medics said….
Police seize drugs cache in Rafah
1/18/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Police on Tuesday said they seized a haul of painkillers in a home in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Brigadier Anwar Zu’rob said police received information that drugs were stored at the home, and found 20,000 Tramadol pills – a prescription pain reliever sometimes prescribed as an anti-depressant….
Barak and Netanyahu kill off Israel’s Labor party
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Zionist left writes its own obituary Ehud Barak, Israel’s defence minister, appears to have driven the final nail in the coffin of the Zionist left with his decision to split from the Labor party and create…
Tunisia and the new Arab Media space
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – An interesting discussion has already broken out over whether Tunisia should be considered a “Twitter Revolution” — a far more interesting and relevant discussion than whether it was a “WikiLeaks Revolution” (it wasn’t). I’ve seen some…
The Islamic Republic of Iran, the United States, and the balance of power in the Middle East
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – The Islamic Republic of Iran’s interest in a stable Middle East is arguably greater than that of the United States-after all this is Iran’s neighborhood. For Iran to grow and prosper, it needs secure borders and…
A requiem for Israel’s Labor party
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – The parliamentary faction representing the party that founded and built the state of Israel and that dominated its governments for decades was today reduced to mere single digits — Israel’s Labor Party now has eight members…
Russia reaffirms recognition of Palestinian state
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Soviet-era position remains unchanged Al Jazeera – Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, has reaffirmed recognition of a Palestinian state, saying Moscow will not change the position adopted by the former Soviet Union when it recognised independence…
Crackdown on mosques in West Bank
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – CNN – CNN’s Kevin Flower reports on Palestinian Authority attempts to crackdown on “incitement” in mosques.
Palestinians to submit UN draft condemning Israeli settlements this week
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Haaretz – Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Monday that the Palestinian Authority expected to ask the United Nations Security Council this week to declare Israeli settlements illegal and demand a halt to their construction. Read…
Obama: Hariri UN tribunal an ‘important step’ toward justice in Lebanon
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Haaretz – U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday welcomed the filing of an indictment over the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and said the UN-backed tribunal for Lebanon must be allowed to continue…
International Syrian photographer exhibits work in hometown
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Arabiya – After having his work published in the world’s most widely-circulated magazines, prominent Syrian photographer Ammar Abd Rabbo is getting ready for the inauguration of an exhibition in his hometown of Damascus. In addition to…
Fayyad: Taxes must rise to reduce aid dependency
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Maan – Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Sunday that taxes must rise to reduce dependence on donors. Fayyad, a former World Bank economist, faced a barrage of questions on the state of the economy…
UK pledges £17 million to PA
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Maan – UK Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt on Tuesday pledged ¬£17 million to support Palestinian Authority state-building. Meeting with PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Burt said he was impressed by the Ramallah premier’s improvements in…
Orthodox Christians at River Jordan Epiphany gathering
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – BBC News – As many as 20,000 Orthodox Christians are expected to gather on the banks of the River Jordan to celebrate the annual feast of the Epiphany. Crowds of Greek and Russian Orthodox Christians -…
Israeli tanks take part in deadly Gaza Strip raid
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – BBC News – AFP news agency reported that seven tanks had made a limited incursion 200m into Palestinian territory on Tuesday, sparking a shootout with militants. Other reports suggested armoured vehicles and bulldozers were involved. Read…
Political upheaval in Tunisia spurs Palestinian leaders to issue reassurances on own economy
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Los Angeles Times – The factors that led to the popular upheaval in Tunisia set off alarm bells throughout the Arab world, and the Palestinian Authority was no different. Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad spent…
Hezbollah leader speaks for first time following government collapse
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Los Angeles Times – Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah gave an address on TV on Sunday night to lay out Hezbollah’s rationale for orchestrating the collapse of the government last week. On Wednesday, Hezbollah and its…
Israeli officials keep a keen eye on Tunisia, also Lebanon
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Los Angeles Times – Like the rest of the region, Israel is keeping a keen eye on developments in Tunisia even as it waits to see what tomorrow (or the next day) brings in Lebanon. Israeli…
In search of scrap, Gaza children risk lives in border zone
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Alert Net – Children in Gaza risk regular gunfire from Israeli troops while looking for construction material in destroyed buildings close to the blockaded enclave’s border with Israel, Save the Children said on Tuesday. Citing a…
Russia’s Medvedev backs independent Palestine
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Alert Net – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev endorsed a Palestinian state on Tuesday, saying Moscow had recognised independence in 1988 and was not changing the position adopted by the former Soviet Union. Making his first visit…
King’s words live in Palestine
Palestine Note 18 Jan 2011 – Dorothy M. Zellner, Atlanta Journal Constitution – As a veteran of the 1960s civil rights movement, I hope this year’s Martin Luther King Day will be more than the usual constant repetition of his “I have…
Lieberman the fascist, in his own words
Palestine Note 17 Jan 2011 – As I sat to write these words, a pro-democracy demonstration in Tel Aviv was winding down. Reports I received from colleagues at the march estimated the number at 20,000 in attendance, and YNET reports 15,000. This…
Russia backs Palestinian state
AlJazeera 18 Jan 2011 – In a visit to occupied West Bank, president Dmitry Medvedev says Moscow recognises independent state for Palestinians.
Gaza children ‘at risk’ near border
AlJazeera 17 Jan 2011 – New report says 26 children killed by Israeli troops near the border in 2010, while the blockade is ‘ravaging’ economy.
Palestinian Worker Killed in Northern Gaza by Israeli Shelling
PNN – Gaza — PNN — A Palestinian worker was killed and another two injured on Tuesday afternoon after Israeli tanks opened fire on them near the northern Gaza border with Israel. Local sources…
Russian President Medvedev to Reaffirm Russian Recognition of Palestinian State
PNN – Jericho — PNN – On the day of Russian president Dmitri Medvedev’s visit to Jericho, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas called the trip “historic” and a top negotiator said he expected Medvedev to…
Israeli Activists Call on UK Telecommunications Giant to Cut Ties with Israeli Phone Company
PNN – Tel Aviv — PNN – Israeli activists on Tuesday called on UK telecommunications giant BT to “live up” to the company’s “professed ethical standards” and “cut all ties with Israel’s occupation” by…
In Nablus, An Invasion of Cardboard Tanks
PNN – Sidqi Musa — Nablus — PNN – He lines up the Israeli army tanks on a street in Zawata, a small village west of Nablus in the northern West Bank, reminiscent of…
Israel’s Actions Reflects the Arrogant Mentality of an Occupier
PNN – By Daoud Kuttab – Sometime over the weekend and somewhere within the Israeli military’s decision making apparatus, a decision was taken. Thousands of decisions like this are taken daily. For sure no…
New Settlers Homes and New Wall Section in East Jerusalem
PNN – Jerusalem — PNN – The Israeli government approved 32 new homes for settlers to be built in the Pisgat Ze’ev settlement near Jerusalem on Monday night. According to Israeli sources, the new…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (06-12 January 2011)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
WZO Settlement Division returns to the PMO
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Since 1967, division has assisted development over Green Line; MK Danon tells ‘Post’ he hopes move will remove bureaucratic problems for settlements.
Palestinian flag in Washington ruffles feathers
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – PA envoy: Move “indicates the willingness of the American administration to deal with the realities on the ground.” Rep. Ros-Lehtinen says action is part of PA “scheme to manipulate int’l acceptance.”
Pilgrims celebrate Feast of the Epiphany on Jordan River
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – The ceremony, which celebrates Jesus’s baptism by St. John the Baptist, draws Orthodox Christian pilgrims from around Israel and the world.
Diskin: Sept. will be ‘boiling point’ for Palestinian ties
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Shin Bet chief tells Knesset c’tee PA intends to call on UN to recognize Palestinian statehood, “will place us in a problematic situation.”
Hamas says German mediator has ‘new ideas’ on Schalit
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Report suggests that Hamas official says Konrad’s negotiations could lead to breakthrough in deal for captive soldier’s release.
Anti-government protests gather steam in Jordan
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Despite demonstrations, vendors in Amman tell the ‘Post’ that the situation in their country does not mirror that of Tunisia.
Netanyahu endorses tax hike on gas, oil profits
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Sheshinski c’tee “found proper balance between needs of Israel’s citizens and its investors,” says PM about natural gas.
Treasury, Foreign Ministry in talks to end work sanctions
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Dispute causes Israel to cancel rare opportunity to host UN meeting; delegates from 50 countries were scheduled to attend, hear PM speak.
Knesset to vote on approving new ministers
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Kadima promises to not let appointments of Barak’s allies pass quietly: “We want as many MKs as possible to condemn the corrupt political deal.”
Abbas calls on Quartet to pressure Israel
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Medvedev stops short of saying border of future Palestinian state should be 1967 lines; PA president praises Russians for support of Palestinians
Jerusalem Prize awarded to English author Ian McEwan
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Writer of ‘Amsterdam’, ‘Atonement’ to be awarded prize reserved for novelist who best expresses the “freedom of the individual in society.”
Palestinian killed along Gaza-Israel border
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Israeli tank fire kills 1, injures 2 others in attempt to plant explosive device; IDF makes no comment, cites rocket fire from Gaza Tues.
Medvedev: Russia won’t change stance on Palestinian state
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – During visit to W. Bank, Russian president says decision taken by Soviet Union in 1988 will not change but does not clarify whether his country recognizes ‘Palestine’; says he is willing to have greater role in peace process.
Bellemare: Hariri indictment important moment for Lebanon
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Canadian prosecutor says in video statement that he has made good on a promise to the people of Lebanon to do “everything that is humanly and legally possible” to bring the assassins to justice.
Hizbullah backers take to streets after tribunal indictment
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Schools, roads closed down in Beirut as supporters gather in show of force against indictments allegedly accusing some of Shi’ite group’s members, Khamenei for involvement in Hariri killing; Obama welcomes first indictment.
PA gives new names to historical Jewish sites
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Since 2001 Palestinian civil studies books, “with the help of Arab and Islamic centers,” change Rachel’s Tomb to Bilal Ibn Rabah Mosque.
Hamas: ‘Konrad offered ‘new ideas’ in Schalit talks’
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jan 2011 – Report suggests that Hamas official says German mediator’s negotiations could lead to a breakthrough in deal to release kidnapped IDF soldier.
Obama welcomes first indictment in Hariri assassination
Jeruslalem Post 17 Jan 2011 – Names not publicized, amid reports Khamenei is among them; Israeli officials watch events in Lebanon unfurl but are careful not to comment so as not to be seen as intervening one way or the other; Hizbullah blames US for indictment.
Lebanon enters a tunnel, the end of which can’t be seen
Jeruslalem Post 17 Jan 2011 – Analysis: The irresistible force of Hariri’s refusal to abandon UN Tribunal is set against the immovable object of Hizbullah’s physical domination of Lebanon.
International Solidarity Movement
A melancholy Martin Luther King Day in Bil’in
1/18/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 17 January, The Huffington Post, Majida Abu Rahmah – My family endured another heartbreaking setback last Tuesday in the case of my husband, Abdallah Abu Rahmah. Although Abdallah’s prison sentence ended November 18th, the Israeli Military Court of Appeals ruled that he should be held for three additional months. My husband has been gone….
Palestinian U.S. mission raises flag in Washington for first time
Ha’aretz – PLO U.S. envoy calls flag raising ‘historic’ and says he hopes it will help Palestinian quest to win support for independence.
Medvedev: As we did in 1988, Russia still recognizes an independent Palestine
Ha’aretz – Russian president makes announcement after meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas in West Bank; Israeli officials fear recognition will cause a domino effect of other states following Russia’s lead, including…
IDF opens fire at two Palestinians on Gaza border
Ha’aretz – One Palestinian wounded by IDF tank shell; IDF says the two Palestinians were attempting to plant an explosive device near the border fence.
Israel concerned Russia will recognize Palestinian state
Ha’aretz – Fatah official Nabil Sha’ath tells Al-Hayat newspaper that Dmitry Medvedev will affirm Soviet Union’s 1988 recognition of a Palestinian state during West Bank visit.
Israeli man arrested for alleged involvement in Bosnia genocide
Ha’aretz – The International Investigations Unit arrests Aleksandar Cvetkoviƒá after Bosnia files extradition request over suspicions that he was involved in 1995 mass murder., Hezbollah, allies toppled the government of Saad Hariri,…
Netanyahu aides: Labor Party split will help advance peace talks with Palestinians
Ha’aretz – Sources close to PM say Labor ministers who resigned from government were the ones keeping the Palestinians from conducting direct negotiations with Israel.
Netanyahu: Tunisia turmoil shows instability of entire Mideast
Ha’aretz – Speaking during weekly cabinet meeting, PM says region-wide unrest and instability highlight Israel’s concerns as to regional powers’ ability to sign and maintain a future peace treaty.
3 Palestinians injured in an explosion
18 Jan 2011 – Gaza, ( Pal Telegraph) – Three young Palestinians were injured Tuesday due to an explosion of a suspicious object in AL-Qarara town, southern Gaza strip.
Israeli army detains 2 Palestinians in West Bank
18 Jan 2011 – West Bank,(Pal Telegraph) -Israeli occupation forces detained Tuesday two citizens from Bait Amr town, northern Hebron and informed another to meet Israeli intelligence service.
Clashes reported in Silwan
18 Jan 2011 – Silwan,(Pal Telegraph) -Violent Clashes erupted yesterday night between residents and Israeli soldiers in Silwan town ,in the occupied West Bank, WAfA News Agency reported.
Bedouin village razed once again as historic Jerusalem hotel demolished
Uruknet January 18, 2011 – Following the demolition of the historic Shepherd Hotel and the increase of home demolitions across occupied East Jerusalem, United Nations agencies and European Union officials called for observers and the implementation of international law in Jerusalem. Top EU leaders proposed that its officials maintain presence in the Palestinian areas of the city that are under…
Russia backs Palestinian state
Uruknet January 18, 2011 – Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has reaffirmed recognition of a Palestinian state, saying Moscow will not change the position adopted by the former Soviet Union when it recognised independence for Palestinians in 1988. Russia’s position remains unchanged. Russia made its choice a long time ago,” Medvedev said at a news conference in the West Bank city…
Finland shopping for “battle-tested” Israeli weaponry
Uruknet Januaty 18, 2011 – Finland’s Ministry of Defense has narrowed the field in its competition to provide the Finnish army with mini unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Of the five remaining bidders, four are Israeli firms with deep ties to the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Syrian Golan Heights. In addition, three of the models offered are…
Democratic for Jews, Jewish for everyone else
Uruknet January 18, 2011 – …The incredible mobilization to ‘save Israeli democracy’ reinforces the notion that democracy for Jews is in perfect health. The left was attacked, people took to the streets and the system worked. If Lieberman’s desire to investigate leftist NGO’s reaches the next level in the parliament, concerned Jewish citizens will surly take the proper recourse under…
Palestinian prisoner paralysed after Shabak administered unknown substance
Uruknet January 18, 2011 – Palestinian detainees revealed that the Israeli Shabak had drugged a Palestinian prisoner which might have directly resulted in the onset of paralysis. The Palestinian prisoners said that a Shabak officer asked a collaborator in the desert prison of Eichel to put a pill in a coffee cup then hand it to a Palestinian prisoner who…
The vindication of Dick Cheney
Uruknet January 18, 2011 – In the early months of Obama’s presidency, the American Right did to him what they do to every Democratic politician: they accused him of being soft of defense (specifically “soft on Terror”) and leaving the nation weak and vulnerable to attack. But that tactic quickly became untenable as everyone (other than his hardest-core followers) was…
Displacement risk for Palestinians in East Jerusalem
Uruknet January 18, 2011 – UN agencies and European Union (EU) officials in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) are calling for the implementation of international humanitarian law to protect the Palestinian population in East Jerusalem from forced displacement. UN, Palestinian Authority and EU officials say East Jerusalem is occupied territory, requiring protection of the civilian population by international humanitarian law,…
The “Stuttgart Declaration” represents a paradigm shift
Uruknet January 18, 2011 – …The new movement which is supported by activists all around the world, inside Israel and Palestine, is modeled on the anti-Apartheid solidarity movement. The whole of Palestine is an area that was and is colonized, and occupied in one way or form by Israel and in it Palestinians are subject to various legal and oppressive…
Israel finances military helicopter deal for South Sudan
Uruknet January 18, 2011 – Reports from Sudan claim that senior Israeli officials have been advising the secessionist Council of Ministers of the Government of the South [Sudan] on matters relating to the “final details” of the expected “independence” from Khartoum and military support. Arab diplomatic sources called a meeting held in Israel in mid-December “important” and “extraordinary”. According to…
Palestinian teenager killed as Israel troops raid Gaza: medic
Uruknet January 18, 2011 – A Palestinian teenager was killed and two other people were injured on Tuesday as Israeli tanks carried out an operation in northern Gaza, a medical official said. Hamas emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya named the victim as 17-year-old Amjad al-Zaanein, saying he died after being hit by Israeli tank fire near the northern town…
Authors of Gaza youth manifesto speak to EI
Uruknet January 18, 2011 – …”We have one message,” a member of the group told The Electronic Intifada. “We, the youth of Gaza, who make up sixty percent of Gaza’s 1.6 million residents, have increasingly felt repressed in many aspects, starting from the long-standing Israeli occupation of our lands — particularly the four-year-old Israeli blockade of Gaza — through the…
Gaza children ‘at risk’ near border
Uruknet January 18, 2011 – Children in Gaza are coming under regular gunfire from Israeli soldiers while scavenging in the ruins of buildings bombed during the Israeli invasion of Gaza in 2009, a new Save the Children report has warned. Twenty-six children were shot by Israeli troops close to the border last year, according to the UNICEF-led working group on…
Gaza Youth Breaks Out has politics
Uruknet January 17, 2011 – Abu Yazen is nervous, he hasn’t slept for a while. That everything would become so big, go so fast, that he had no idea of. His name also isn’t Abu Yazen, but giving his real name is no longer an option. Too great is the danger you face when you put your frustration into words…
Israel Acting to Destroy Bedouin Communities, Way of Life
Uruknet January 17, 2011 – The Bedouin village of El Araqib in the Negev desert was destroyed by Israeli forces early Sunday morning. This is ninth time in the past six months that the Jewish National Fund and the Israeli military have destroyed the village, and it will certainly not be the last. Israel has for decades been attempting to “…
Alternative Information Center
Boycott the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on its US Tour!
Alternative Information Center – The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel appeals to BDS activists in the United States to boycott the US tour of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) in February and March 2011, due…
Israeli Settlers Violence Report: November, December 2010
Alternative Information Center – The Alternative Information Center monitored and recorded Israeli settler attacks and violations during the final two months of 2010.
Settlement construction at Shepherd Hotel Temporarily Halted
Alternative Information Center – The Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee issued a temporary injunction order Sunday, halting settlement construction at the Shepherd Hotel in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem.
Tunisia coalition faces instability and anger
Daily Star 18 Jan 2011 BAGHDAD: A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd of police recruits Tuesday, killing at least 45 people and undermining Iraqi security efforts as the nation struggles to show it can protect itself without foreign…
At least 45 killed in attack on police recruiting center in Iraq
Daily Star 18 Jan 2011 BAGHDAD: A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd of police recruits Tuesday, killing at least 45 people and undermining Iraqi security efforts as the nation struggles to show it can protect itself without foreign…
Russian president endorses Palestinian state
Daily Star 18 Jan 2011 JERICHO, occupied West Bank: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev endorsed a Palestinian state Tuesday, saying Moscow had recognized independence in 1988 as the Palestinians raised their flag over the Palestine Liberation Organization diplomatic mission in Washington for…
Israelis see Barak’s Labor exit as ploy to keep job: poll
Daily Star 18 Jan 2011 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israelis overwhelmingly believe that Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s decision to leave his Labor Party and form a new faction was an attempt to protect his Cabinet post, a poll showed Tuesday.
ElBaradei: West hyping perceived atomic threat from Iran
Daily Star 18 Jan 2011 TEHRAN/VIENNA: The former head of the U.N. atomic watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei said Tuesday the West is “hyping” the perceived nuclear threat from Iran while the Iranian president said Tehran is making steady progress in its nuclear…
Sudan security forces arrest Turabi after uprising remarks
Daily Star 18 Jan 2011 KHARTOUM: The second in command of Sudanese opposition party Popular Congress Party vowed Tuesday that his party would take to the streets to change government following the arrest of its leader Hassan al-Turabi.
Dmitry Medvedev restates Russian support for Palestinian state
The Guardian 18 Jan 2011 – On visit to the West Bank, Russian president backs Palestinian demands for Israel to renew freeze on settlement building Dmitry Medvedev today reiterated Russia’s endorsement of an independent Palestinian state, amid mounting concern in Israel over…
Israel’s ‘disobedient women’ questioned over illegal trips for Palestinians | Harriet Sherwood
The Guardian 18 Jan 2011 – Days out to Israel for West Bank women and children come under police scrutiny amid fears of rising intolerance In a small village between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, I joined a remarkable group of women and…
Palestinian resolution on Israel to be put to UN council
Relief Web 18 Jan 2011 – Source: Agence France-Presse
Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women considers Report of Israel
Relief Web 18 Jan 2011 – Source: UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Le Fonds d’urgence de l’ONU alloue 84 millions de dollars ?† 15 crises n?©glig?©es
Relief Web 18 Jan 2011 – Source: UN News Service
European involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict
Relief Web 18 Jan 2011 – Source: European Union
Weekly Anti-Wall Protest Update
Stop The Wall – Bi’lin marches in solidarity with its prisoners and martyrs. Occupation forces injure one in Ni’lin and open fire with live ammunition in al Nabi Saleh, where protestors clashed with soldiers in the center of the village. [
Shin Bet: Palestinians moving to no man’s land around Jerusalem
YNet News – Diskin tells MKs Egypt can halt smuggling to Gaza within 48 hours, but its level….
Hamas launches Gaza rebuilding program
YNet News – PM Haniyeh announces launching of ‘first project to rebuild what had been….
Medvedev reaffirms Soviet recognition of Palestine
YNet News – In Jericho, Russian president says Moscow has not changed its position since….
Iran bans production of Valentine’s Day gifts
YNet News – ‘Honoring foreign celebrations is the spread of Western culture,’ says head of….
Report: IDF fire kills 17-years-old Gazan
YNet News – Army says tank shell fired at terrorists trying to plant explosive device near….
Iran: Sanctions won’t stop nuclear drive
YNet News – Tehran hardens position on nuclear program ahead of international talks in….
MK: Rabbi Yosef threatened over conversions
YNet News – As Shas spiritual leader’s sweeping acceptance of IDF conversions leads to….
Barak escapes political drama in Nablus
YNet News – Defense minister visits soldiers serving in West Bank city, refuses to elaborate….
Israel arrests Bosnia genocide suspect
YNet News – Aleksandar Cvetkoviƒá, who immigrated to Jewish state about five years ago,….
Barak’s move enrages Arab Labor members
YNet News – Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s decision to quit Labor has Arab party members fuming. “This is the greatest shock to the Israeli Left in the State of Israel’s modern …….
Prosecution: Charge Rabbi Elon with indecent acts
YNet News – The Jerusalem District Prosecution on Tuesday recommended that Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein prosecute Rabbi Mordechai Elon for committing indecent acts against at …….
Palestinians raise flag at Washington office
YNet News – Palestinians on Tuesday raised their flag over the PLO diplomatic mission in Washington for the first time, as Palestinians push for international recognition that …….
Bosnia massacre suspect denies charges
YNet News – The former Bosnian Serb soldier who was arrested in Israel Tuesday on suspicion of involvement in the 1995 execution of Bosnian Muslim men and boys at the Branjevo farm, …….
Protestors torch themselves in Egypt, 1 dies
YNet News – Security officials say a 25-year-old unemployed man has died in hospital a day after he set himself on fire on the roof of his home in the Egyptian port city of …….
Legal Forum: Probe Yisrael Beiteinu’s funding
YNet News – The Legal Forum on Tuesday asked State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss to launch an investigation into the funding sources of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael …….
Palestinian Information Center
Hamas MPs congratulate Palestine Christians for holidays
PIC 18 Jan 2011 – Hamas MPs are touring Bethlehem to congratulate Palestinian Christian communities over the Christmas celebrations.
Saudi Arabia transfers tons of relief material to Gaza via UNRWA
PIC 18 Jan 2011 – The official Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday that the Saudi campaign to support the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip transferred more than 15 million Saudi Riyals to UNRWA.
Haneyya launches first stage in project to rebuild war-torn Gaza
PIC 18 Jan 2011 – Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haneyya announced Tuesday his government will launch the first stage in a project to completely reconstruct the war-torn Gaza Strip.
400 Gazans endangered as vital medicine nears depletion
PIC 18 Jan 2011 – Gaza’s Health Minister Bassem Naim said 400 kidney patients in Gaza are at risk as dialysis solution provided by the World Health Organization is on the brink of running out.
Barhoum urges world community to restrain Israel
PIC 18 Jan 2011 – Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, has said that the incessant Israeli shelling of the Gaza Strip indicated that it did not give up the idea of war.
PA arrests 17 Hamas, 2 Jihad supporters in the West Bank
PIC 18 Jan 2011 – Palestinian Authority security agencies have arrested at least 17 Hamas supporters in the past week.
Israeli police detain two Palestinian boys in OJ
PIC 18 Jan 2011 – Israeli police on Tuesday stormed the house of Nasser Qaws in occupied Jerusalem and took away his 16-year-old son Jihad.
IOF artillery shelling kills Palestinian man, wounds two teenagers
PIC 18 Jan 2011 – A Palestinian citizen was killed and two others wounded in artillery shelling by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday afternoon, medical sources reported.
Shin Bet agent makes attempted hit on Eshel prisoner
PIC 18 Jan 2011 – A Shin Bet agent inside the Eshel Prison in Beersheba made an obvious attempt to assassinate another prisoner in the facility, the Gaza prisoners ministry said Tuesday.
3 Palestinian youths injured in blast of Israeli army ordnance
PIC 18 Jan 2011 – Three Palestinian youths were injured on Tuesday morning as a result of the explosion of an Israeli army ordnance east of Khan Younis district, south of Gaza Strip.
Chinese President Hu Jintao arrives for talks with Obama
LA Times 18 Jan 2011 – The seemingly bland Hu Jintao wields enormous power and should not be underestimated, analysts say. He’ll have dinner with Obama and Hillary Clinton and attend more meetings Wednesday and Thursday. Chinese President Hu Jintao, arguably the most powerful world leader after President Obama, arrived at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington on Tuesday for his first visit to the U.S. capital since 2006.
For the Arab world, the revolution will be televised, on Al Jazeera
LA Times 18 Jan 2011 – Al Jazeera’s rapid-paced, visceral coverage of the Tunisian upheaval has riveted viewers across the Middle East. Many see it as a big voice in a landscape of burgeoning Arab dissent. But governments accuse it of bias. In cafes and living rooms across the Middle East, the whirling montages and breathless journalists of Al Jazeera are defining the narrative of Tunisia’s upheaval for millions of Arabs riveted by the toppling of a dictator.
News Analysis: Lebanon Shows Shift of Influence in Mideast
New York Times 18 Jan 2011 – The crisis in Lebanon is yet another episode in which the United States watches events unfold and beyond its ability to control them.
Medvedev Visits West Bank, Lifting Palestinian Spirits
New York Times 18 Jan 2011 – Russia’s president met with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and reaffirmed his country’s support for a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem.
Barak’s Break With Party Shakes Up Israeli Politics
New York Times 18 Jan 2011 – Defense Minister Ehud Barak left the left-leaning Labor Party and is forming a smaller, centrist faction that will stay in the governing coalition.
Squeezing Silwan
Palestine Monitor – The East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan has been the target of Israeli political intimidation. Since the end of December 2010, several prominent community leaders have been arrested and investigated in what members of the Wadi Hilwah Information Center are calling an attempt to quell activism in…
New Israeli laws targeting human rights groups
Palestine Monitor – It all started last year, in late January/early Febuary 2010, when the ultra-nationalist group Im Tirzu launched an attack on the New Israel Fund (NIF) – a philanthropic fund set up to support Israeli non-profit, civil society organizations – claiming that 90% of the information used…
Voices Beyond Walls
Palestine Monitor – The University of East London is now hosting a screening of nine short films and photography produced by Palestinian youth. “The Re-imagining project: Al Aroub refugee camp and Gaza” exhibition features the creations from teenagers from Al Aroub refugee camp in the West Bank, and Jabaliya…
There is no substitute for seeing it for yourself — Travel to Israel/Palestine with Interfaith Peace Builders in May 2011
Mondoweiss – Video of Hebron from IFPB’s May 2010 delegation to Israel/Palestine. To view more videos from the delegation see here . I am incredibly excited to make this announcement. If you’re reading this site you are most likely very interested in events in Israel/Palestine. There are many ways…
‘Goldstone’ becomes a punchline on the Israeli Supreme Court
Mondoweiss – It’s finally happened.After being pummeled and bashed, defamed and defiled for nearly 18 months, the name “Richard Goldstone” has finally been demoted to joke status in Israel. And the joker was none other than a Supreme Court justice, one of the 14 people most responsible for…
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and the silence of friends
Mondoweiss – “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends” —Martin Luther King We know the most vociferous opponents of Palestinian freedom that walk the halls of Congress. Their words and actions are clearly supportive of the most…
More on ‘Boycott from Within’
Mondoweiss – Off my radar until today, Boycott from Within is a group of courageous Israeli citizens, both Palestinians and Jews united, inspired by the struggle of South Africans against Apartheid who have joined Palestinian Civil Society in their call for International Boycott Divestment and Sanctions against Israel….
Al-Arakib after the 10th demolition
Mondoweiss – For more on Al-Arakib see here , here and here .
Israeli Tanks, Bulldozer Enter Northern Gaza Strip
Al-Manar 18 Jan 2011 – Seven Israeli tanks, accompanied by a bulldozer, have entered the northern part of the Gaza Strip, near the town of Beit Hanun, Palestinian officials said. The tanks entered around 400 meters into the Palestinian territory on Tuesday, but it was not yet clear whether a…
Democratic for Jews, Jewish for everyone else
Joseph Dana 18 Jan 2011 – Can this flag stand for all its citizens or only the Jewish ones? Photo: Yossi Gurvitz Despite the hysteria of the past week, Israeli democracy is in perfect health. Well, for the Jewish citizens of the country anyway. Avigdor Lieberman’s push to investigate leftist NGO’s is…
‘Boycott From Within’ making international waves against the occupation
Joseph Dana 18 Jan 2011 – Boycott From Within is taking credit for the recent cancellation of French pop star Vanessa Paradis ‘s visit to Israel. The group, made up of Israeli citizens who advocate the Palestinian national call for international call for boycott, divestment and sanction (BDS) of Israel, believes that…
Arabs push settlement resolution
BBC 18 Jan 2011 – Arab nations formally submit a resolution to the UN Security Council condemning Jewish settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Egyptian kills himself with fire
BBC 18 Jan 2011 – A man dies after setting himself on fire in Egypt’s northern port city of Alexandria, in the latest such incident in North Africa.
Israeli tanks in deadly Gaza raid
BBC 18 Jan 2011 – Israeli tanks enter the northern Gaza Strip, sparking fighting that kills one Palestinian and injures two more.
Russia firm on Palestinian state
BBC 18 Jan 2011 – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, on a rare visit to the West Bank, reaffirms Moscow’s recognition of an independent Palestinian state.
Will Egypt Follow Tunisia’s Lead?
Antiwar.com 18 Jan 2011 – CAIRO — “Where can I find a Tunisian flag?” The question flooded Egyptian blogs, Twitter, and Facebook pages minutes after news that popular protests had forced out long-time Tunisian dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Egypt is feeling the ripple effect from Tunisia already. Egypt’s 85…
Latin America Deepens Israel Isolation
Antiwar.com 18 Jan 2011 – JERUSALEM — Guyana became Thursday the seventh Latin American state to recognize an independent Palestinian state. Although the official recognitions are largely nominal, they have irked the state of Israel as they expose its growing diplomatic isolation in the face of the current peace deadlock. It…
Articles
A melancholy Martin Luther King Day in Bil’in
Majida Abu Rahmah, Huffington Post1/17/2011
My family endured another heartbreaking setback last Tuesday in the case of my husband, Abdallah Abu Rahmah. Although Abdallah’s prison sentence ended November 18th, the Israeli Military Court of Appeals ruled that he should be held for three additional months. My husband has been gone for 13 months already, since he was arrested in the middle of the night last December.
Abdallah was convicted of incitement and organizing demonstrations in our West Bank village, Bil’in. The unarmed weekly demonstrations call for the removal of Israel’s illegal wall, built arbitrarily through our village’s farmland. Over half of our land has been annexed by the wall, mostly for illegal settlement construction. The whole of our lands have not been returned, though we keep demonstrating.
Last Tuesday’s ruling was attended by many European representatives, including German and Spanish heads of consulate in East Jerusalem, and diplomatic representatives from France, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, United Kingdom and the European Commission. Abdallah was called a ‘human rights defender’ by the European Union, and his imprisonment has been harshly condemned by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
After the ruling, Philip Luther of Amnesty International called Abdallah a ‘prisoner of conscience’ stating that he remains in jail “solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and assembly.”
In 2009, President Obama addressed the Middle-Eastern world in Cairo. “America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world,” he said. Despite this sentiment, the United States has done very little to help Abdallah or other Palestinian political prisoners…. more.. e-mail
What Now For Lebanon?
Franklin Lamb, Information Clearing House1/18/2011
Informed Congressional sources in Washington DC on 1/15/11 are confirming that the White House has informed Congressional Committee Chairpersons and American allies that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) will indict Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Wali al Faqih (jurisconsult or Supreme Religious Leader) for issuing the order to assassinate Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The US and Israel believe Iran’s motive was that PM Hariri was considered a serious threat to Tehran and Damascus because their intelligence agencies established that Hariri was conspiratorially linked to Saudi Arabia, France and the United States–and by extension, Israel.
Key Congressional leaders have been advised that the execution order targeting Hariri was delivered by Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds force chief Qassem Suleymani to Hezbollah’s military commander Imad Mughniyeh. The US, Israel and their allies intend to back with an international media campaign, the STL theory that Mughniyeh and his brother-in-law, Mustapha Badr al-Dine met on several occasions and handpicked the team that carried out the assassination.
Moreover, that Syrian President Bashar al-Aassad, and his brother-in-law, Syrian Intelligence Chief Assef Shawkat, also played key roles in organizing Hariri’s assassination. The US government expects that each of these named individuals, including several Hezbollah leaders, will be indicted and convicted, almost certainly in absentia.
Within days the US Congressional lobby is expected to initiate in the House and Senate a total cut off of American aid to Lebanon unless resigned Prime Minister Hariri is immediately returned to office. This aid cutoff will be vociferously demanded by AIPAC….more.. e-mail
Winter Break in Gaza
Max Ajl, CounterPunch1/17/2011
In the Penumbra of Death’s Shadow
I got to Gaza three weeks ago after being away for over five months, and almost nothing has changed. F-16s continue to unload their cargoes of heavy explosives on “suspected” military sites nearly every night, terrifying everyone in Gaza as we all wonder if this is the explosion which heralds Cast Lead II, while “suspected militants,” or any Palestinian male under the age of 80, are consistently shot down by the IDF for loitering within a couple hundred meters of the border, especially if a bit of debris kicked up by the wind scares a frazzled and homicidal IDF sniper.
The rolling blackouts thankfully hit Gaza in even more of a stutter than they used to. Some days the power remains on all day. The plastic green¬?houses right on the side of the road from Rafah undulate a little in the wind, the garbage remains littered all over the side of the highway, the children in their school uniforms, constantly multiplying, cluster on the side of the road, peering into passing cars; and the 40 kilometers from the Rafah terminal to the restaurant in Gaza City port took over an hour on the over-crowded, under-maintained, under-funded, crumbling and shattered roadways. Meanwhile, Gaza isn’t so much antediluvian–although it’s that, too, with donkeys moving people up and down main streets, jostling for space with late-model Mercedes recently imported into Gaza–as outside time people wait to come into time.
The first thing I did when I got here was have a Turkish coffee in a caf?© overlooking the Mediterranean. The calm was interrupted when the reports from gunshots started ricochetting off the water. When you’re sitting that close, it’s hard to distinguish between bombs falling far away and the echo of shots from the big guns the Israeli navy uses to harass fishermen. Then later people told me that the shots I was hearing weren’t the fishermen…. more.. e-mail
Bedouin village razed once again as historic Jerusalem hotel demolished
Electronic Intifada: 18 Jan 2011 – Following the demolition of the historic Shepherd Hotel and the increase of home demolitions across occupied East Jerusalem, United Nations agencies and European Union officials called for observers and the implementation of international law in Jerusalem.more
Finland shopping for “battle-tested” Israeli weaponry
Electronic Intifada: 18 Jan 2011 – Finland’s ministry of defense has narrowed the field in its competition to provide the Finnish army with mini unmanned aerial vehicles. Of the five remaining bidders, four are Israeli firms with deep ties to the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights.more
Authors of Gaza youth manifesto speak to EI
Electronic Intifada: 18 Jan 2011 – Five members of the Gaza Youth Breaks Out group gathered in Gaza City for an interview with The Electronic Intifada. Their “Manifesto for Change” published on Facebook circulated widely on the Internet and was covered by international publications such as The Guardian and The New York Times . Rami Almeghari reports for The Electronic Intifada.more
Squeezing Silwan
Palestine Monitor: 18 Jan 2011 – The East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan has been the target of Israeli political intimidation. Since the end of December 2010, several prominent community leaders have been arrested and investigated in what members of the Wadi Hilwah Information Center are calling an attempt to quell activism in the cohesive East Jerusalem neighborhood. Arrest of young Palestinian of Silwan, Activestills.org April 30, 2010 “In 2010 we saw an increase in the arrest of children and minors, eviction orders and house demolitions. In the start of 2011, we are seeing a very clear targeting of activists here–the local leaders, who are working for empowerment are being targeted,” stated Muna Hasan, a coordinator at the Wadi Hilwah Information Center. Silwan is a highly politically organized village in East Jerusalem struggling with the continual encroachment of Jewish settlers who seek to live in what is thought to be the ancient city of King David. Residents…more
New Israeli laws targeting human rights groups
Palestine Monitor: 18 Jan 2011 – It all started last year, in late January/early Febuary 2010, when the ultra-nationalist group Im Tirzu launched an attack on the New Israel Fund (NIF) – a philanthropic fund set up to support Israeli non-profit, civil society organizations – claiming that 90% of the information used in the Goldstone report came from groups funded by the NIF. Shortly thereafter, the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, set up a subcommittee for the purpose of looking into foreign funding of Israeli organizations. Called the “NGO transparency bill”, it was the first in a series of three bills introduced before the Summer of 2010 targeting domestic and international activists and Israeli Human Rights organizations. Purportedly designed to render NGO finances more transparent, the bill actually originally provided for more governmental scrutiny into the organizations activities. It required the removal of their tax-exempt status, which would have significantly restricted…more
Voices Beyond Walls
Palestine Monitor: 18 Jan 2011 – The University of East London is now hosting a screening of nine short films and photography produced by Palestinian youth. “The Re-imagining project: Al Aroub refugee camp and Gaza” exhibition features the creations from teenagers from Al Aroub refugee camp in the West Bank, and Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza. The students produced the photos and films during their digital media storytelling workshop this past summer, and exhibitions this fall took place in both the West Bank and Gaza. Put on by the non-profit group Voices Beyond Walls, the camp is a five-week commitment. Students aged 12-15 spend summer days learning how to communicate their ideas and acquaint themselves with the art of expression in various forms. One of the participating youths explained, “I had many ideas I wanted to express and I was able to express them through the process of story-writing.” The culmination of the project finds each…more
PA Institutions Essential to Occupation Infrastructure
Palestine Chronicle: 18 Jan 2011 – By Hasan Afif El-Hasan The accomplishments of the Palestinian Authority (PA) since the signing of the Oslo Accords agreements can only be described as a national tragedy. Gaza is under Israeli and international crippling blockade; East Jerusalem and big area of the West Bank have been annexed by Israel; the West Bank has become fractured by the growth of settlement blocks; there are hundreds of checkpoints; many Jews-only roads and ‘bypass roads’ and the separation wall have been built in the West Bank; and the refugees are still denied the right of return. Leaders of the PA that has failed to create an independent viable state after decades of negotiations described the status quo as “least costly occupation in the world.” The Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman told the Israeli diplomats in his year-end remarks that it was impossible to have a peace agreement [on Israel’s terms] under the present…more
Zionist Left Writes Its Own Obituary
Palestine Chronicle: 18 Jan 2011 – By Jonathan Cook — Nazareth Ehud Barak, Israel’s defence minister, appears to have driven the final nail in the coffin of the Zionist left with his decision to split from the Labor party and create a new ‘centrist, Zionist’ faction in the Israeli parliament. So far four MPs, out of a total of 12, have announced they are following him. Moments after Barak’s press conference on Monday, the Israeli media suggested that the true architect of the Labor party’s split was the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who, according to one of his aides, had planned it like “an elite general staff [military] operation”. Netanyahu has pressing reasons for wanting Barak to stay in the most rightwing government in Israel’s history. He has provided useful diplomatic cover as Netanyahu has stymied progress in a US-sponsored peace process. Barak had been happy to oblige as the government’s fig-leaf, so long as he…more
‘Sumoud’ in Palestine: To Exist is to Resist
Palestine Chronicle: 17 Jan 2011 – By Kim Bullimore On Tuesday, the Israeli military demolished the dreams of a family of five in the Palestinian village of Azzoun Atma. At 8.30am, on January 11, more than 100 Israeli soldiers surrounded their home, forced them onto the street and then locked them in the neighouring house for the next three and half hours. As “the most moral army in the world” stood guard around the neighbouring house, ensuring the family could do nothing to stop what was about to happen, a heavily armoured Caterpillar bulldozer smashed down the walls of the home they had lived in for more than 8 years. The Israeli occupation forces then made their way to the other side of the village and demolished a farm house belonging to another family, along with their agricultural pens. The day after the demolition of their dreams, myself and my team mates from the International Women’s…more
Hollywood, Israel and the Pursuit of Normalcy
Palestine Chronicle: 17 Jan 2011 – By Basil Abdelkarim While flipping through channels on television last week, I ran across an episode of Friends, the long running hit NBC sitcom (1994-2004), which grabbed my attention. In this episode from 2004, paleontologist and professor Ross Geller proudly announces to his circle of attractive young friends that he has just earned tenure at a New York university. This glorious occasion prompts the young dinosaur expert to break out a bottle of Israeli champagne in celebration. There are actually two references to Israeli champagne (‘Israel’s finest’) in this episode, and these moments are played ostensibly for laughs. (Israel? Champagne? Whoda thunk it?) Nevertheless, Friends made me wonder. In recent years, I’ve noticed a trend among popular television programs and motion pictures to include bizarre, seemingly random references to Israel. The references are on the surface apolitical — they do not precede a discussion of the conflicts in the Middle…more
Road Map to Peace Beginning with Justice
Palestine Chronicle: 17 Jan 2011 – (An Open Letter to Sandy Berger and Stephen Hadley) By William A. Cook Let me introduce myself lest you discard a letter from someone you do not know. I am a citizen of this nation having lasted beyond the biblical three score and ten with an ancestry that can be traced back to 1636. That’s not necessarily a positive thing as our own ethnic cleansing of the natives of this continent can testify. But as a professor who has written three books about the mid-East, Tracking Deception: Bush Mid-East Policy, The Rape of Palestine, and an edited work, The Plight of the Palestinians, all specifically focused on Israel and Palestine, and, let me add, a novella that drew its inspiration from Ariel Sharon, a morality tale The Chronicles of Nefaria, I do my best to find recourse in the moral premise that underlies America and its potential for good in…more
Hezbollah’s Nasrallah Could Be Right
Dissident Voice: 18 Jan 2011 – It’s not impossible that Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah was right when he described the tribunal investigating the assassination of Lebanon’s Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 as “an American and Israeli tool”. Though I, myself, see Israel’s military and political leaders as those with most to gain — I mean thinking they have most to gain — from a successful attempt to pin the blame on Hezbollah. When their unopposed air force devastated large parts of Lebanon’s infrastructure (as well as Hezbollah’s headquarters area of Beirut) in 2006, Israel’s leaders thought that by doing so they would turn the Lebanese army and Christian and Sunni militias against Hezbollah. In other words, by massively punishing all of Lebanon, Israel’s leaders believed they could push the Lebanese army and Christian and Sunni militias into doing the Zionist state’s dirty work. But once again Israeli strategy (state terrorism pure and simple) backfired. Israel’s…more
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The New Dark Age 
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