20 February, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Erekat Criticises PA, Calls For Re-examination of Peace Process
IMEMC – Sunday February 20, 2011 – 11:05, Following his resignation as Chief Negotiator for the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Saeb Erekat has, on Sunday, called for a re-examination of the Palestinian Authority.
Settlers Attacks Residents In Hebron & Yatta
IMEMC – Saturday February 19, 2011 – 14:54, On Saturday, Israeli settlers attacked several citizens in the city of Hebron and the nearby town of Yatta.
Settlers uproot 270 olive trees near Nablus
2/20/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — A mob of extremist settlers stormed Palestinian farmland and uprooted olive trees near Nablus in the northern West Bank, Palestinian officials said. Residents of an an illegal outpost “waged war on olive trees uprooting 270 using chainsaws and other means,” in Duma and Qusra villages, said Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority….
Witnesses: Israel demolishes tents in West Bank village
2/20/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces bulldozed dozens of tents on Sunday, donated by the Palestinian Authority to the residents of Tana, a village east of the West Bank city of Nablus, locals said. Atif Hanini — mayor of nearby town Beit Furik — said six Israeli army jeeps accompanied bulldozers to demolish the tents. Hanini said….
Report: Fayyad offers Hamas Gaza, unity govt
2/20/2011 – Khalid Mash’al told the PIC that “new initiatives” were in store – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Appointed PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has reportedly offered space in a unity government to Hamas, Agence-France Presse reported Sunday. Fayyad told the news organization that the move was aimed at ensuring presidential and legislative elections would go….
Israeli forces release 3 Gaza fishermen
2/20/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli forces released three Gaza fishermen on Sunday, detained at sea a day earlier, local sources told Ma’an. Residents reported that Mustafa Hijazi Lahham, Mahmoud Hasan Lahham, and Hijazi Hani Lahham went missing after leaving the Khan Younis harbor early Saturday morning. Relatives feared the men may have…. Related: 3 Gazan fishermen missing
Rafah crossing to open for Gazans to enter Egypt
2/20/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Rafah crossing will be open for Gaza residents to enter Egypt starting on Tuesday, Palestinian crossings officials said. Around 300 Palestinians will be allowed to cross to Egypt every day, officials in Gaza said Sunday. Egypt reopened the Rafah crossing Friday evening for Palestinians stranded in Egypt to return….
3 Gazan fishermen missing
2/20/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Three fishermen from Gaza went missing Saturday off the coast of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, local sources told Ma’an. Locals identified the men as Mustafa Hijazi Lahham, Mahmoud Hasan Lahham, and Hijazi Hani Lahham. They sailed on Saturday morning from Khan Younis harbor and did not…. Related: Israeli forces release 3 Gaza fishermen
Brigades say soldier shot on border
2/20/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The National Resistance Brigades said Sunday that their militants shot and injured an Israeli soldier on patrol east of Gaza City. The fighters, from the armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said they fired directly at the patrol and retreated safely. According to a statement….
Sources: 3 Egyptian officers kidnapped near Israel border
2/20/2011 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Unidentified armed men on Sunday abducted three Egyptian officers patrolling the border with Israel, Egyptian security sources said. Sources told Ma’an that three officers serving in Rafah’s central security forces were kidnapped near the barbed wire fence separating Egypt and Israel about three kilometers south of….
Israel eyes Iranian navy move with ‘gravity’
2/20/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel views with “gravity” what Iran says is the “routine” dispatch of two warships to the Mediterranean, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, as the vessels were expected to pass through the Suez Canal. During his weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel viewed the movement as an Iranian power play.” Today we….
11 suffer food poisoning in Beituniya eatery
2/20/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Eleven people were hospitalized with food poisoning on Sunday, after eating an organic phosphorus compound that Ministry of Health officials said was identified in one of the desserts served at a Beituniya restaurant. The restaurant, south of Ramallah, was closed,acting Minister of Health Fathi Abu Moghli told Ma’an….
Egyptian authorities release Palestinian smuggler
2/20/2011 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egypt’s Ministry of the Interior released a Palestinian prisoner Sunday, two years after he was arrested for work in the Gaza-Egypt smuggling tunnels, police said. The freed man was identified as A’la Bruhum, and was said to have been taken by security forces to the Rafah….
Fatah official: UN veto will harm US strategic interests
2/20/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The US veto of a Palestinian anti-settlement bid at the UN served America’s short-term goals but would harm its strategic interests, senior Fatah official Mohammad Shtayyeh said Saturday. The party’s Central Committee member told Ma’an that by torpedoing the UN resolution condemning illegal settlement building….
Ghassan Al-Masri: US veto ‘diplomatic terrorism’
2/20/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — The US veto of a UN anti-settlement resolution was “diplomatic terrorism,” former PLO spokesman Ghassan Al-Masri said Sunday. The US on Friday torpedoed a Palestinian bid for a UN resolution condemning Israel’s settlement activity. The other 14 member states of the Security Council voted in favor of the motion….
In photos: Abbas protests US veto in Ramallah
2/20/2011 – MaanImages / Thaer Ganaim, Pool – President Mahmoud Abbas attends a protest march in the West Bank city of Ramallah on February 18, 2011. Demonstrations broke out across the West Bank when US President Barack Obama’s administration vetoed a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements. Abbas pursued the motion despite a last minute personal appeal from….
Rallies over ‘despicable’ Obama UN veto
2/20/2011 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — Around 3,000 Palestinians gathered in the West Bank on Sunday to protest the US veto that nixed a Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements. The crowd massed in Ramallah’s Manara Square, a central roundabout in the West Bank city, waving banners and shouting slogans against the American administration.” Obama, you despicable….
Footballers prepare for Olympic qualifier on home soil
2/20/2011 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — The Palestinian national football team is to play an international qualifier match on its home turf for the first time ever, Palestinian officials said Sunday.”This game will be the first international game held on Palestinian land as one of the preliminary qualifying matches for the London Olympics in 2012,” said deputy information….
ElBaradei warns against early Egypt election
2/20/2011 – ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) – All the gains of Egypt’s revolution will be lost if elections are held too soon because supporters of ousted president Hosni Mubarak will get back in power, opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei warned on Sunday.” If we go too fast, if we organize elections in four or five months, it will….
Mahmoud Abbas should throw the keys of the “Occupation” at the White House.
Palestine Note 20 Feb 2011 – The message from President Obama and Secretary Clinton to Mahmoud Abbas and Ramallah leadership is very clear. Mahmoud Abbas message to the US should also be equally clear. Mahmoud Abbas should travel to New York address…
American UN veto surrenders moral high ground in world Democracy push
Palestine Note 20 Feb 2011 – American UN veto surrenders moral high ground in world Democracy push By Ray Hanania The United States surrendered the moral high ground in the push to bring Democracy to the Middle East when it vetoed a…
Reports of new protests in Iran
AlJazeera 20 Feb 2011 – Security forces clashed with anti-government protesters and briefly detained the daughter of Iran’s former president.
Confusion over Suez ship crossing
AlJazeera 20 Feb 2011 – Iran media says two warships used the waterway to reach Mediterranean, a claim dismissed by an Egyptian official.
Karroubi dares Tehran to try him
AlJazeera 20 Feb 2011 – Opposition leader, who is currently under house arrest, says people should get to know the truth.
Iran frees two German journalists
AlJazeera 20 Feb 2011 – Foreign minister brings back pair detained for interviewing son of woman sentenced to death by stoning.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (10 — 16 February 2011)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Saudis offer Bahrain rulers support against opposition
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – As uneasy calm prevails in tiny Gulf nation, Sunni-led Saudi Arabia tries to keep Bahrain from falling into Iran’s orbit.
Hezbollah might attack Israeli target to help Iran
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – IDF Northern Command believes regime in Iran may initiate attack if it feels under pressure due to anti-government protests.
McEwan accepts J’lem Prize at opening of Int’l Book Fair
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – A novel has the power to shape minds on both sides of a conflict, says author in speech that expresses some controversial political opinions.
Iran briefly detains daughter of ex-president Rafsanjani
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – Opposition websites say planned rally squelched by massive security presence; Bahrain’s opposition plots strategy before talks.
Arad resigns as head of National Security Council
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – Netanyahu adviser says he’ll return to academia after Lieberman nixes his appointment as envoy to London.
MKs: Lack of security in Gaza perimeter is unacceptable
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – FADC heads to Israeli towns near Gaza, complaining that Defense Ministry assessments do not meet safety needs.
The apartheid analogy: Lessons for Israel
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – While Israel’s democratic constitution is certainly flawed, only hostile prejudice explains the ever-growing trend of comparing it with apartheid South Africa.
Veteran JPost reporter wins award for ‘media criticism’
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – Khaled Abu Toameh was honored for his reporting on Palestinian affairs; Caroline Glick receives award for Latma web site.
‘Hamas sold its spirit, independence to other countries’
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – PA Foreign Affairs minister Riyad Al-Malki interviewed about upcoming PA elections, the Hamas-Fatah divide, MidEast protests, the situation in Gaza.
Khamenei warns against reinstating Pharaohs in Egypt
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – Ayatollah says uprisings across Middle East are “definitely Islamic and should be reinforced;” US is region’s biggest problem.
‘Forces clash with anti-gov’t protesters in Iran’
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – Reports suggest that thousands of people pour into streets of Tehran holding signs saying “God is great,” “Death to the dictator.”
PA prime minister offers unity deal to Hamas
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – After US veto of UN resolution, Fayyad says PA “not willing to compromise for a fistful of dollars,” will rule with Hamas as long as ceasefire upheld.
Gunmen kidnap 3 Egyptian guards near border with Israel
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – Egyptian security officials say gunmen force border guards into vehicles; kidnappings reportedly linked to death of drug smuggler.
Iran and Egypt: The story of two uprisings
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – The international community’s chief goal for the Middle East should be to curb Iran’s tyrannical regime by exposing its hypocritical reactions to Egypt. If not for its brutality, Teheran would be experiencing mass demonstrations similar to the ones they lauded in Egypt.
PA official: US should be ashamed of veto at UN vote
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – Nabil Shaath says vote “proved Israel isolated internationally and is only protected by US veto”; Erekat: PA has become inefficient.
‘Israel views Iran ships crossing Suez with utmost gravity’
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – Netanyahu tells cabinet that Iran is trying to “expand its influence in the region”; conflicting reports on warships passing through canal.
Erekat says Israel worse burden on US than Iran
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – Senior PA official calls for reexamination of peace negotiations and land transfer, estimates America will not cut aid to authority.
‘2 Iranian navel vessels begin transit through Suez Canal’
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – After conflicting reports, Iranian media says ships heading towards Syria; Suez Canal official says vessels not in canal.
‘Opposition plans to shoot at people in Iran protest’
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – Iranian pro-gov’t news warns that Iraqi-protest group intends to turn rallies violent, open fire on demonstrators.
Egypt: 2 Iranian naval vessels will transit Suez Canal
Jeruslalem Post 20 Feb 2011 – After conflicting reports, Suez Canal official says vessels due to arrive in Mediterranean on their way to Syria.
‚ÄòA happy surprise that gave hope to Palestinians’
Jeruslalem Post 19 Feb 2011 – Israeli Arabs respond to the Egyptian uprising: “People sent SMSes saying congratulations and writing ‘Free Egypt.’”
Analysis: Yusuf al-Qaradawi — a ‚Äòman for all seasons’
Jeruslalem Post 19 Feb 2011 – Addressing millions in Tahrir, cleric who has supported suicide bombings in Israel calls for pluralistic democracy in Egypt.
Panel to consider applying Israeli law to settlements
Jeruslalem Post 19 Feb 2011 – Removal of military law would make it near impossible, to impose a freeze on West Bank Jewish construction, approve construction.
Aviva Schalit to Netanyahu: Enough is enough
Jeruslalem Post 19 Feb 2011 – Hundreds join captive soldier’s parents at rally in front protest tent near PM’s Residence in J’lem to mark Gilad’s 1,700th day in captivity.
Protesters rally at US embassy in TA to slam UNSC veto
Jeruslalem Post 19 Feb 2011 – Demonstrators hold signs reading “stop US-supported occupation,” “Veto settlements, vote justice” following US veto of anti-settlement vote.
Passage of Iran ships through Suez delayed by 48 hours
Ha’aretz – Israel is following the movement of the warships closely, although it does not believe the Iranian vessels have hostile intentions toward Israel.
Nearly 3,000 Palestinians rally against U.S. veto on settlement resolution
Ha’aretz – Mass demonstration in Ramallah backed by members of Abbas’ Fatah faction; Palestinian PM decries Obama’s defense of the veto as ‘offensive’, offers concessions to Hamas in apparent show of frustration over U.S. policy.
Palestinian PM seeking to lure Hamas into unity government
Ha’aretz – In appeal to join forces with West Bank-ruling Palestinian Authority, Salam Fayyad says Hamas can maintain its authority over the Gaza Strip until elections.
Egypt: Gunmen kidnapped three guards on border with Israel
Ha’aretz – Egyptian security officials say kidnappings may be linked to shooting death of a suspected drugs smuggler who tried to sneak across the border into Israel.
Netanyahu: Iran exploiting unrest to widen its Mideast influence
Ha’aretz – In cabinet meeting, Prime Minister says Israel is taking a ‘grave’ view of an Iranian plan to send two warships into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal.
Deputy FM: Anti-settlement vote proves UN is a ‘rubber stamp’ for Arab nations
Ha’aretz – Daniel Ayalon’s comment comes as U.S. veto prevents settlement activity condemnation, with the other 14 Security Council members voting in its favor.
Iran says its warships completed Suez Canal crossing
Ha’aretz – Iran’s state broadcaster says vessels reach Mediterranean, despite recent reports that the controversial crossing, the first since 1979, would only take place later this week.
Egyptian officials: Iran warships to cross Suez Canal on Monday
Ha’aretz – Israel is following the movement of the warships closely, although it does not believe the Iranian vessels have hostile intentions toward Israel.
Ministers reject bill barring state funding for artists who dodged IDF
Ha’aretz – The bill was rejected in a landslide vote after Culture Minister Limor Livnat expressed strong opposition to the proposal; according to bill, Livnat would have been tasked with approving any exceptions to the ban.
Knesset probe into leftist NGOs likely to pass by razor-thin majority
Ha’aretz – Plenum vote on the two parliamentary panels of inquiry set for next Monday, with figures seemingly set at 61 in favor and 59 opposed.
From dusk to dust: Massive haze cloud sweeps through central Israel
Ha’aretz – Concentration of dust is four to 10 times more than normal, reports Environment Ministry; morning flights canceled at Haifa airport.
Two teens arrested for alleged murder of classmate in Rahat
Ha’aretz – Badly burnt body of Abu Siam was found on Friday night in southern Bedouin town of Rahat; police say the teens attacked him because they were jealous.
Israel Arrests more Palestinians in West Bank, Gaza
20 Feb 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli forces have carried out a series of house raids and arrests in the West Bank and Gaza, according to witnesses.
Shalit family blames Netanyahu for failed swap talks
20 Feb 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) – The family of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by resistance forces more than four years back, said failed negotiation efforts by Netanyahu were to blame for their son’s continued detention.
Israelis Settlers “Maniacs” re-attack, 1 Palestinian injured
20 Feb 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) – Armed Jewish settlers last night attacked Palestinian homes in the old city of Al-Khalil, which led to the injury of one citizen and caused material damage in some houses.
Israelis Settlers “Maniacs” chop down 220 olive trees for settlements
20 Feb 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) – Jewish settlers in the West Bank were certainly encouraged after the U.S. struck down a resolution that would have thwarted settlement activity for good. In Nablus, Yash Adam settlers attacked a Palestinian-owned farm noon Sunday, chopping down hundreds of olive trees. Other settlers beat up the night before entire families in the Jordan Valley.
Palestinian forced to level home attachment
20 Feb 2011 – Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) – A Palestinian man from the Suwar Bahir village east of Jerusalem was forced to tear down part of his own home on Sunday.
Israeli army arrests children in Beit Ummar
Uruknet February 20, 2011 – The Israeli army has been arresting children in the village of Nabi Saleh for the past two months as a means of applying pressure on the village to end its popular unarmed resistance against the occupation.
PFLP joins march in Manara Square to end the division and celebrate Egyptian Revolution
Uruknet February 20, 2011 – The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine saluted the Palestinian youth gathering to march in Manara Square in Ramallah to celebrate the Egyptian revolution and call for Palestinian unity on Friday, February 18, 2011, and said to the masses of our Palestinian people and Arab nation, and to young people in particular, that this…
Obama on Palestinian Rights: “Nyet”
Uruknet February 20, 2011 – On February 18, as expected, Washington vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements as illegal under international law. The vote: 14 yes, America the sole no, isolating the US and Israel on this long festering issue. The measure had nearly 120 co-sponsors. In a post-vote briefing, ambassador Susan Rice outrageously lied, saying: “….as…
Rafah crossing to open for Gazans to enter Egypt
Uruknet February 20, 2011 – The Rafah crossing will be open for Gaza residents to enter Egypt starting on Tuesday, Palestinian crossings officials said. Around 300 Palestinians will be allowed to cross to Egypt every day, officials in Gaza said Sunday. Egypt reopened the Rafah crossing Friday evening for Palestinians stranded in Egypt to return to Gaza. The terminal had…
Mideast Meets Midwest: Joining the Surge Against Corrupt Elites
Uruknet February 19, 2011 – Tens of thousands of ordinary people pour into the streets in a desperate bid to stop yet another vicious assault on their human rights — and their human dignity — by an utterly corrupt political system run by callous, greedy elites. The factotums of the system — the same kind of third-rate lackeys and shriveled-up…
Demolitions, drought and displacement in West Bank Area C
Uruknet February 19, 2011 – Demolition of livelihood structures and drought are hitting already impoverished Palestinian communities living in Area C of the West Bank hard this year, according to UN agencies and international aid organizations working in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Demolition of livelihood structures – including commercial structures, educational facilities, wells, water cisterns, water storage tanks, farmland…
‘From the Gulf to the Ocean’: The Middle East is Changing
Uruknet February 19, 2011 – … Mubarak’s importance to Israel and the US stemmed from the fact that he guarded Israeli gains for the pitiful price of $1.8 billion a year. Most of this went to fulfill military contracts, upgrade military hardware and subsidize US military expertise aimed at ‘modernizing’ the Egyptian army. Israel, of course, was given almost double that…
US Veto: Speaking with Forked Tongue
Uruknet February 19, 2011 – It is common within early U.S. history to describe the communications from the white settlers to the indigenous population as being done with a “forked tongue,” as described clearly by Wikipedia: “The phrase ‘speaks with a forked tongue’ means to say one thing and mean another or, to be hypocritical, or act in a duplicitous…
Egypt Shows Wisconsin The Way
Uruknet February 19, 2011 – Yet another reason why I love Madison… Add the beautiful city, the awesome four-lakes, the best farmers market around, the fact the Badgers took down the #1 ranked Ohio State in both football and basketball this season, and Super bowl further upstate. Madison appears now to be breathing life into the American labor movement decimated…
Activism roundup: Bilin commemorates six years of protest
Uruknet February 19, 2011 – Palestinians and international solidarity activists held a large demonstration in the occupied West Bank village of Bilin today in a “celebration of six years of struggle against the wall and the occupation,” according to the Bilin Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements. In a press release, the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee stated that “the…
Two-state solution: A postmortem
Uruknet February 19, 2011 – Among the time-honoured myths in the long tragedy of Israel and Palestine is “the deal that almost was”. The latest entry, what we might call the “near deal of 2008,” comes from Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli prime minister, chronicled in excerpts from his forthcoming memoir and feverishly promoted in The New York Times as “…
One killed as protesters clash with police in Iran
The National 21 Feb 2011 – Ammunition and tear gas fired at rally called to commemorate the deaths of opposition supporters in last week’s violence in Tehran.
US settlement veto exposes PA’s weaknesses, analysts say
The National 21 Feb 2011 – Mahmoud Abbas responds with conciliatory tone to diplomatic snub after Barack Obama vetoes Security Council resolution condemning illegal Israeli settlements.
Alternative Information Center
Indian Air Force Purchases Missiles from Israeli Weapons Manufacturer Rafael
Alternative Information Center – The Indian Air Force and the Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems are set to sign a major contract in March 2011, which will outfit India’s Tejas fighter jets with Rafael’s Derby missile.
In Whose Name Are You Speaking? A Response to Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal
Alternative Information Center – In recent weeks and months, a number of Latin American countries have publicly expressed their recognition of Palestinian statehood. Given that a Palestinian state doesn’t yet exist, this recognition also amounts to supporting the Palestinian right…
US Vetos UN Resolution Condemning Israeli Settlements
Alternative Information Center – The United States has vetoed a draft UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian Territory on Friday (18 February). The other 14 members of the United Nations Security Council all voted in favor of…
Video: Egypt and the Palestinian Struggle
Alternative Information Center – The fall of the Egyptian regime ended three decades of stability in the Middle East.
Simultaneous Vigils in Ramallah, Tel Aviv to Protest Canada Park
Alternative Information Center – Simultaneous protest vigils opposite the Representative Office of Canada to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and the Embassy of Canada to Israel in Tel Aviv
Gadhafi’s son threatens civil war
Daily Star 20 Feb 2011 MADRID: Anti-government protests that toppled rulers in Tunisia and Egypt will not spread to Algeria in a “domino effect” across the region, Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said in an interview published Sunday. “The domino effect…
Algeria will not see unrest domino effect, foreign minister says
Daily Star 20 Feb 2011 MADRID: Anti-government protests that toppled rulers in Tunisia and Egypt will not spread to Algeria in a “domino effect” across the region, Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said in an interview published Sunday. “The domino effect…
Fayyad blasts U.S. veto of settlement resolution
Daily Star 20 Feb 2011 The Palestinian prime minister angrily denounced Sunday the U.S. veto of a U.N. resolution condemning Israel’s West Bank settlements and offered to form a unity government with Hamas. Meanwhile, around 3,000 Palestinians gathered in the West…
Jordan’s monarch urges ‘quick and real’ political reforms
Daily Star 20 Feb 2011 AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah II called Sunday for “quick and real” political reforms to give the public a greater role in governing and to eliminate corruption, favoritism and nepotism. The king’s comments are his first public…
Iran security forces flood into streets to curb opposition rallies
Daily Star 20 Feb 2011 Thousands of Iranian security personnel were deployed in Tehran and other cities Sunday to prevent opposition protesters rallying in spite of a ban, opposition websites reported. Opposition reports that one person had been killed in clashes…
Suez Canal says Iran navy ships’ passage delayed
Daily Star 20 Feb 2011 ISMAILIA, Egypt: The passage of two Iranian naval vessels through the Suez Canal has been delayed by 48 hours, a canal official said Sunday. The frigate and supply ship had been due to enter the canal…
Egypt’s constitutional committee focuses on enabling fair vote
Daily Star 20 Feb 2011 A committee revising Egypt’s constitution after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak is focusing on changes needed to guarantee democratic polls in six months, leaving a complete revamp for later, a committee member said Sunday.
China cracks down after calls for protests
Daily Star 20 Feb 2011 BEIJING: China has detained top activists and deployed heavy security in large cities after the launch of a web campaign calling for protests echoing popular uprisings in the Arab world, campaigners said Sunday. Up to 100…
Tunisians defy ban on rallies, call for new interim Cabinet
Daily Star 20 Feb 2011 Tens of thousands of people defied security forces Sunday to rally in the Tunisian capital calling for a new interim government. It was the second straight day of mass protests in the North African country’s main…
The Middle East: People, power, politics | Editorial
The Guardian 20 Feb 2011 – It will be only when Gaddafi’s security forces cross lines that his maniacal grip will slip — but that moment could be far off At the time, it was called the Libyan model, a turnaround so…
Ian McEwan attacks ‘great injustice’ in Israel
The Guardian 20 Feb 2011 – British novelist launches powerful attack as he accepts book award in Jerusalem The British author Ian McEwan launched an eloquent attack on Israeli government policies in his speech accepting the Jerusalem prize for literature, saying “a…
Palestinians plan ‘day of rage’ after US vetoes resolution on Israeli settlements
The Guardian 20 Feb 2011 – US decision to use UN security council veto sparks furious reaction in West Bank and Gaza Palestinians are planning a “day of rage” on Friday in response to the US wielding its veto against a UN…
MIDEAST: Train Connections Fail to Bridge
IPS The apex of modern times for one of the world’s oldest cities is when what looks like a silvery car glides by. A cruise on Jerusalem’s first light rail is a dream of perfection promising to relieve traffic congestion in the city.
Egypt Takes a Step Back From IMF Ways
IPS Egypt could soon be looking for a new economic model — one that will be different from the traditional system that has been promoted for years by international financial institutions such as the World Bank, the IMF, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), under the reign of ousted…
Hamas man sentenced to 15 years in prison
YNet News – Beersheba court rules Shaker Abu-Mor was integral part of Islamist group’s….
Report: Hezbollah fighting Iran protestors; 2 killed
YNet News – (Video) Anti-regime protests resume in Islamic Republic. Opposition elements….
Gunmen kidnap 3 Egyptian guards near Israel border
YNet News – Officials say kidnapping related to recent shooting of drug smuggler who….
Opposition group: Iran diplomat defects to France
YNet News – Green Wave claims nephew of reformist Karroubi seeks political asylum in Paris….
PA official: US should be ‘ashamed’
YNet News – Abbas aide Shaath says veto of anti-settlement UN resolution ‘proves Israel is….
Iran ships approach Suez, Israel takes ‘grave view’
YNet News – Egyptian official denies report from Iran saying to of its naval ships have….
Tear gas launcher hits Silwan home
YNet News – The occasional riots in Silwan have become a common phenomenon in east Jerusalem, but for 33-year-old resident Issam Qawasmeh, Friday’s rally turned into a nightmare. …….
PA urges world to boycott J’lem tourism conference
YNet News – Palestinian Tourism Minister Hulud Deibas sent a letter to all countries invited to take part in the International Tourism Conference in Jerusalem scheduled to take place …….
Suez Canal says Iran navy ships passage delayed
YNet News – The passage of two Iranian naval vessels through the Suez Canal has been delayed by 48 hours, a canal official said on Sunday. The frigate and supply ship had been …….
Israel’s first openly gay judge appointed
YNet News – Attorney Dori Spivak was appointed on Friday as a judge in the Tel Aviv Labor Court. He is the first openly gay judge appointed in Israel. Spivak, the deputy …….
Palestinian Information Center
Shalit family blames Netanyahu for failed swap talks
PIC 20 Feb 2011 – The family of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by resistance forces more than four years back, said failed negotiation efforts by Netanyahu were to blame for their son’s continued detention.
Jerusalem man forced to level home attachment
PIC 20 Feb 2011 – A Palestinian man from the Suwar Bahir village east of Jerusalem was forced to tear down part of his own home on Sunday.
Israelis chop down 220 olive trees envisioning settlement expansion
PIC 20 Feb 2011 – Yash Adam settlers attacked a Palestinian-owned farm noon Sunday, chopping down hundreds of olive trees. Other settlers beat up the night before entire families in the Jordan Valley.
Female prisoner Abeer enters 11th year in Israeli jails
PIC 20 Feb 2011 – The Palestinian ministry of detainees’ affairs said that female prisoner Abeer Amro, 33, from Dura village in Al-Khalil city, has entered Sunday her 11th year in Israeli jails.
IOF troops bulldoze Khirbat Tana for fifth time
PIC 20 Feb 2011 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) escorted huge military bulldozers that razed the Palestinian Khirbat Tana village east of Nablus city for the fifth consecutive time, locals reported.
Hamad: Rafah crossing will be open for departure next Tuesday
PIC 20 Feb 2011 – Head of the Palestinian authority of crossings and borders Ghazi Hamad said that the Rafah border crossing would be reopened before passengers who need to leave Gaza to Egypt next Tuesday.
Israeli soldiers kidnap student at Hawara checkpoint
PIC 20 Feb 2011 – The international Tadamun foundation for Human Rights said that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) kidnapped Sunday morning a student of Al-Najah national university at Hawara checkpoint.
Citizen injured, homes damaged after savage attack by settlers in Al-Khalil
PIC 20 Feb 2011 – Armed Jewish settlers last night attacked Palestinian homes in the old city of Al-Khalil, which led to the injury of one citizen and caused material damage in some houses.
PA arrests Hamas man, transfers others to be sentenced
PIC 20 Feb 2011 – Continued PA arrest campaign targeting Hamas sweeps West Bank; one Hamas man arrested, others to be sentenced.
Abbas keen on relations with the US despite its bias in favor of Israel
PIC 20 Feb 2011 – Mahmoud Abbas insisted on his relations with the US despite the blow dealt to him by Washington, when the latter vetoed a UN resolution against Israel’s settlement expansion in the occupied lands.
DIANA BUTTU ON THE PALESTINE PAPERS [VIDEO]
Intifada-Palestine: 26 Jan 2011 – In this special segment of Palestine Studies TV, Diana Buttu, a former member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Negotiations Support Unit, spoke about the recent leak of thousands of internal Palestinian documents concerning the ongoing negotiations with Israel. They were published and covered extensively by Al Jazeera and The Guardian. She spoke about their significance, the political fallout and what they say about Israel’s basic position on negotiations and the prospects for a two-state solution. Palestine Studies TV is a special project of the Institute for Palestine Studies. www.palestine-studies.orgmore
JEFF GATES: ISRAEL STRIKES BACK
Intifada-Palestine: 26 Jan 2011 – Jeff Gates Timing is everything when waging war “by way of deception,” the motto that has long guided Israeli war-planners. Whenever Israel’s geopolitical goals are threatened, chaos is assured. In national security terminology, the January 24 th bombing at Moscow’s busiest airport was “out of theater repositioning.” Moscow airport First among Tel Aviv’s priorities is their need to maintain traction for the latest geopolitical narrative: a “global war on terrorism” against “Islamo-fascism.” The fact that America’s two latest wars serve Israeli goals remains largely unmentioned in Western media. Six days prior to the Moscow bombing, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev traveled to the West Bank to endorse a Palestinian state with its capital East Jerusalem. He pointedly noted “this was the first visit of a Russian president to Palestine not united with a visit to another country” (Israel). Then he joined a fast-lengthening list of nations confirming that, to date, 109…more
THE STUTTGART DECLARATION FOR A ONE STATE SOLUTION IN PALESTINE — AN ANALYSIS BY DR. LAWRENC DAVIDSON
Intifada-Palestine: 26 Jan 2011 – Dr. Lawrence Davidson Part I — Historical Context When Yasir Arafat took over the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1969 he changed it from a tool of the Egyptian government to a dynamic united front seeking national liberation for the Palestinian people. What sort of national liberation? Arafat’s initial hope was to transform Palestine/Israel from an exclusive religious-ethnic state designed for Jews to an inclusive democratic secular state with equality for all its citizens. One could hardly imagine a more progressive political goal. However, because of a series of distorting factors such as guilt felt over the Holocaust, Zionist lobby pressure operating within many governments, and the racism still operating against Arabs and Muslims, neither Palestinians nor their healthy political goal of a secular democracy got fair hearings in the West. That being the case, history unfolded in its now familiar fashion. The West turned a blind eye while Israel…more
PALESTINE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A LOST CAUSE
Intifada-Palestine: 26 Jan 2011 – Alan Hart The most sickening (I mean truly vomit inducing) thing about the Al Jazeera revelations, the so-called Palestine Papers, is not what they confirm about the quisling status of the impotent and corrupt Palestine Authority. Nor is it what they confirm about the Israeli leadership’s complete lack of interest in peace on terms other than those which require the Palestinians to surrender — to abandon their struggle for even an acceptable minimum amount of justice. What then is the most sickening thing? By offering or at least indicating that it was prepared to offer such huge concessions, the PA leadership encouraged Israel’s political and military leaders in their belief that if only they are intransigent, repressive and brutal enough for long enough, they can break the will of the Palestinians to continue their struggle and force them to accept a handful of crumbs from Zionism’s table . That’s the really…more
Kadafi’s son says Libyan unrest threatens civil war
LA Times 20 Feb 2011 – Eyewitness reports trickling out of the isolated country where the Internet has been largely shut down and journalists cannot work freely suggested that protesters were fighting back more forcefully against the Middle East’s longest-serving leader. The son of longtime leader Moammar Kadafi warned in a nationally televised address that continued anti-government protests that have wracked Libya for six days might lead to a civil war that could send the country’s oil wells up in flames.
Joint Chiefs’ Michael Mullen in Middle East as U.S. concern grows
LA Times 20 Feb 2011 – Adm. Michael G. Mullen, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, begins a weeklong trip in the Middle East, where he is to meet with military and civilian officials in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait. In a sign of the growing U.S. concern about the Middle East, Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, began a weeklong trip to the region Sunday for talks with U.S. allies, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
Revolution might not be a cure for Egypt’s extreme poverty
LA Times 20 Feb 2011 – Over three decades, the nation has become far more dense and has fewer fields along with more mouths to feed. Food prices have shot up, and desperate families no longer have enough to share. I returned to a country far different and very much the same.
China tries to stamp out ‘Jasmine Revolution’
LA Times 20 Feb 2011 – Authorities detained activists, increased the number of police on the streets, disconnected some cell phone text messaging services and censored Internet postings about the call to stage protests in Beijing, Shanghai and 11 other major cities. Jittery Chinese authorities wary of any domestic dissent staged a show of force Sunday to squelch a mysterious online call for a “Jasmine Revolution,” with only a handful of people joining protests apparently modeled on the pro-democracy demonstrations sweeping the Middle East.
In Morocco, Fears of Chaos Temper Calls for Change
New York Times 20 Feb 2011 – As in Jordan, demands for the resignation of the government have not touched the king, who is considered by many to be a reformer on the side of the poor.
Iran Squelches Protest Attempt in Capital
New York Times 20 Feb 2011 – Anti-government protesters gathered in Tehran for a planned rally to mark the deaths of two people killed in clashes one week earlier, but Iran’s police mounted a stultifying security presence in the capital.
‚ÄòNYT’ gives Oren a lectern to spew potted history
Mondoweiss – Ever notice how the Times will happily publish any claim by an Israeli spokesman, regardless of its relationship to facts? Note t oday’s op-ed by ambassador Michael Oren: “Will Egypt Be a Partner in Peace?” It would take a while to discuss thoroughly the record between…
Next, Palestine
Mondoweiss – Earlier today at this site, Seham likened Palestine to Libya, as opposed to Egypt, because in Libya nonviolent protests that would overthrow the regime have been met with violent crackdowns. And Israel has so far crushed nonviolent protest in the West Bank. Will this trend continue…
‚ÄòGaza Youth Breaks Out’ calls for a unified Palestinian leadership to ‚Äòlead us to freedom with all pride and dignity’
Mondoweiss – Gaza Youth Breaks Out issued the following call earlier today: On behalf of the Palestinian Arab people, on the blood of the martyrs, widows and bereaved, orphans and thousands of prisoners in Israeli jails and all our people in the Palestinian diaspora, we call on all…
Q: Which countries in the Middle East routinely attack funeral processions? A: Libya and Israel
Mondoweiss – and other news from Today in the Middle East: Photo above is from Muhammad Nusair , 21, an activist and engineering student in Egypt. He blogs at < politirature.wordpress.com >. Cf. Muhammad Nusair, “From Tahrir to Wisconsin” (19 February 2011). 2009- Israeli army attack funeral of Mohammed…
Why the U.S. will not ‚Äòdo something’ about Palestine
Mondoweiss – People are always getting US foreign policy wrong. For over two decades, people anxious about human rights violations in the Middle East, especially Israeli occupation, have regularly asked me, “When is the US going to do X, Y or Z?” When is the US going to…
Ending the Palestine Schism
Palestine Monitor – EB photographed the 17 February Palestinian demonstration demanding reconciliation and unity between Gaza, the West Bank, Hamas and Fateh. Palestinian National Initiative leader Dr. Moustafa Barghouthi led a demonstration calling for the establishment of a student loan program and Palestinian reconciliation. “A unified nation needs to…
US veto confirms America’s favor in Israel
Palestine Monitor – Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative confirms that the U.S. position in the Security Council through the use of the veto and the disruption of a draft resolution condemning the settlement confirms the American bias in favor of Israel. Dr. Barghouthi stated…
Clinton Threatened to Withhold U.S. Aid to PA, Israeli Officials Fear Increasing European Isolation
Tikun Olam – Ynet reports that among the bullying tactics the U.S. used in a vain attempt to force the PA to withdraw the UN Security Council resolution opposing Israeli settlements, Hillary Clinton threatened to halt U.S. aid. Now how stupid can you get? The U.S. already looks lame…
Simultaneous Protests to be Held Tomorrow Opposite the Representative Office of Canada to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and the Embassy of Canada to Israel in Tel Aviv
Popular Struggle Coordination Committee – Simultaneous Protests to be Held Tomorrow Opposite the Representative Office of Canada to thePalestinian Authority in Ramallah and the Embassy of Canada to Israel in Tel Aviv.Members of the Committee for the Defense of the Rights of the Latrun Villages will hold two protests tomorrow opposite…
Big Boys Shouldn’t Play With Guns
Tikun Olam – Shimmi: ‘don’t point that thing at me’ I’ve argued here after his dust-up with Turkey’s prime minister at Davos that he was senile and should be kept under lock and key. This photo may be further proof that my advice should’ve been heeded. They say that…
Mass Arrest of Children Following Demonstration in Beit Ummar
Popular Struggle Coordination Committee – Following the weekly demonstration against the Occupation, which featured leaders from various popular committees throughout the West Bank, Israeli soldiers arrested a number of children from a village playground. Their whereabouts are unknown at the time of this report.
Beit Ummar Demonstration. Picture Credit: PSP
Popular Struggle Coordination Committee – Bil’in marked this afternoon under the slogan “The people want an end to division and to end the occupation.” Five people were wounded during the demonstration, one from live ammunition.
US Joins Security Council In Condemning Israeli Settlements as Illegal — in 1969
The Magnes Zionist 19 Feb 2011 – In 1969, the United States voted with the rest of the Security Council to condemn Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem and plans to build Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem. The Security Council “urgently calls once more upon Israel to rescind forthwith all measure taken by it…
Israeli Army Targeting Children in Beit Ummar
Joseph Dana 20 Feb 2011 – The Israeli army has been arresting children in the village of Nabi Saleh for the past two months as a means of applying pressure on the village to end its popular unarmed resistance against the occupation. On Saturday 19 February, Israeli army officials adopted a similar…
Israeli activists protest US veto in front of embassy in Tel Aviv
Joseph Dana 19 Feb 2011 – Protest in Front of American Embassy in Tel Aviv. Photo: Karen Zack/activestills.org Roughly 70 Israelis gathered in front of the US embassy in Tel Aviv to protest the recent American veto of a UN resolution confirming the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank….
Bil’in Marked the Sixth Anniversary of Struggle With a Call for Unity
Joseph Dana 19 Feb 2011 – Bil’in Marking Six Years of Struggle. Photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org From the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee During the weekly demonstration five people were injured and dozens suffered from server cases of asphyxia from tear gas. Hundreds of Palestinians joined by Israeli and international solidarity actives marched under…
Germans freed by Iran arrive home
BBC 20 Feb 2011 – Two German reporters who were jailed in Iran after interviewing the son of a woman sentenced to death by stoning arrive home after being freed.
Rafsanjani daughter held in Iran
BBC 20 Feb 2011 – The daughter of Iran’s former reformist President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is arrested for taking part in a banned protest, official media reports say.
Moderate path?
BBC 20 Feb 2011 – Where is Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood heading?
How (Dis)honest is the Honest Broker?
Sabbah report 20 Feb 2011 – Of course this American veto is not some idiosyncratic whim, but is an expression of the sorry pro-Israeli realities of domestic politics, suggesting that it is Israel that is the real holder of the veto in this situation, and the U.S. Congress and the Israeli Lobby…
Obama, The Veto and Impeachment
Sabbah report 20 Feb 2011 – Never before has an American President’s fear of offending the Zionist lobby and its stooges in Congress been so exposed as it was by Obama’s decision to veto the Security Council resolution condemning continued, illegal Israeli settlement activities on the occupied West Bank and demanding that…
Mind-sets and revolutions
Sabbah report 20 Feb 2011 – The revolution in Egypt provides evidence of a public well-informed by 30 years of mostly silent submission to the dictates of a self-serving regime. Finally, when the silence yielded to a voice that said “Enough”, the latest technology and social networking brought that voice to millions…
Obama on Palestinian Rights: “Nyet”
Sabbah report 20 Feb 2011 – On February 18, as expected, Washington vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements as illegal under international law. The vote: 14 yes, America the sole no, isolating the US and Israel on this long festering issue. The measure had nearly 120 co-sponsors.
Articles
Obama’s veto is the wrong side of history
Daoud Kuttab, Ma’an News Agency2/20/2011
US President Barack Obama was on the right side of history when he supported the young nonviolent protesters in Egypt. The Obama administration was on the wrong side of history when Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, raised her hand vetoing a UN Security Council resolution condemning Jewish settlements.
The resolution — supported by 14 countries including US allies — repeated the exact same language that the Obama administration has said to the Israelis, to the Palestinians and to the public. Calling Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal is reflecting the reality of international law. The World Court at the Hague has said that Israel’s activities in the occupied territories are illegal.
Last fall the US held intensive talks with Israel with the aim of restarting Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. Palestinians have consistently said that they can’t enter into talks with Israel about the end of the Israeli occupation and the creation of a Palestinian state while Israel continues to build illegal and exclusive settlements for Jews in the land earmarked for the state of Palestine.
The US administration tried to dangle the carrot and the stick to the Israelis. Washington reportedly told Tel Aviv that if it extended the settlement freeze for a mere three months (thus ensuring the continuation of the talks) that the US would make a generous $3 billion military contribution and would veto anti-Israel resolutions. The logic of this offer was that the carrot would be that the US would not veto any future UN Security Council resolution…. more.. e-mail
From the Palestinian Authority to Adam Smith International
Afshin Rattansi, CounterPunch2/18/2011
Trashcan of History Dept.
The corrupt Palestinian Authority isn’t saying much these days about the momentous events in Egypt or for that matter, Bahrain (more on the Manama massacre later). Coming on the heels of the Palestine Papers which revealed that genuflection was the PA’s idea of negotiation, the PA’s police battered anyone demonstrating solidarity with those opposed to Washington’s puppet, Hosni Mubarak. As if to further emphasize the PA’s status as another Washington-ordered marionette, the Prime Minister (sic) Salam Fayyad, echoed every faltering step of the U.S. State Department, trying to have it both ways as if people from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and beyond can’t see through them.
The Fatah-supporting website Alaahd.com expressed love for the departing dictator and dedicated a video to Egyptians “who love and respect Mubarak, the best of presidents.”
There is an alarming aside in the Palestine papers. It isn’t so much the year-after-year lying to my satellite TV face over the status of Jerusalem-Al Quds by PA spokespeople — while stone-throwing kids were being mown down, as 12-year old Mohammed Al-Durra was killed. Perhaps I was naive in believing that the organization for so long held together by Arafat couldn’t be proto-Zionist. What did the Al-Aqsa Intifada mean to Saeeb Erekat? Anyway, for me the Palestine Papers reveal something altogether more parochial and domestic, here in the United Kingdom.
When I began working on the Strand in London at Al Jazeera Arabic….I was amused by the location of its London offices. It was gently explained to me — not without black humor — that given the U.S. penchant for bombing Jazeera bureaux and killing staff, it was actually quite sensible to triangulate geographically MI5 HQ, MI6 HQ and the Palace of Westminster…. more.. e-mail
The resurrection of pan-Arabism
Lamis Andoni, Al Jazeera2/11/2011
The Egyptian revolution has resurrected a new type of pan-Arabism, based on social justice not empty slogans
The Egyptian revolution, itself influenced by the Tunisian uprising, has resurrected a new sense of pan-Arabism based on the struggle for social justice and freedom. The overwhelming support for the Egyptian revolutionaries across the Arab world reflects a sense of unity in the rejection of tyrannical, or at least authoritarian, leaders, corruption and the rule of a small financial and political elite.
Arab protests in solidarity with the Egyptian people also suggest that there is a strong yearning for the revival of Egypt as a pan-Arab unifier and leader. Photographs of Gamal Abdel Nasser, the former Egyptian president, have been raised in Cairo and across Arab capitals by people who were not even alive when Nasser died in 1970. The scenes are reminiscent of those that swept Arab streets in the 1950s and 1960s.
But this is not an exact replica of the pan-Arab nationalism of those days. Then, pan-Arabism was a direct response to Western domination and the 1948 establishment of the state of Israel. Today, it is a reaction to the absence of democratic freedoms and the inequitable distribution of wealth across the Arab world.
We are now witnessing the emergence of a movement for democracy that transcends narrow nationalism or even pan-Arab nationalism and which embraces universal human values that echo from north to south and east to west.
This is not to say that there is no anti-imperialist element within the current movement. But the protests in Egypt and elsewhere promote a deeper understanding of human emancipation, which forms the real basis for freedom from both repression and foreign domination. more.. e-mail
Ending the Palestine Schism
Palestine Monitor: 20 Feb 2011 – EB photographed the 17 February Palestinian demonstration demanding reconciliation and unity between Gaza, the West Bank, Hamas and Fateh. Palestinian National Initiative leader Dr. Moustafa Barghouthi led a demonstration calling for the establishment of a student loan program and Palestinian reconciliation. “A unified nation needs to repair the actions of the time of division.” “The people want an end to the division [between Fateh and Hamas].” “The immortal leader: Gamel Abd el-Nasser.” “The people want an end to the occupation.” “A divided country is a gift to the enemies of freedom.” “The people want the right of return and self-determination.” All photos copyright EBmore
US veto confirms America’s favor in Israel
Palestine Monitor: 20 Feb 2011 – Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative confirms that the U.S. position in the Security Council through the use of the veto and the disruption of a draft resolution condemning the settlement confirms the American bias in favor of Israel. Dr. Barghouthi stated that the vote of fourteen countries in favor of the draft resolution and the United States response to oppose it and use the veto is a reaffirmation that the United States is unable to play the role of fair mediator in the negotiation process He added that the Israeli policy is dragging the American one on the Palestinian issue to a position of international and regional isolation. He also said that what happened in the Security Council confirms the failure of the any negotiation and the fate of Oslo. Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi calls for immediate actions by the General Assembly of the United Nations…more
US Zionism and Egypt’s Pro-Democracy Movement
Palestine Chronicle: 20 Feb 2011 – By James Petras One of the least analyzed aspects of the Egyptian pro-democracy movement and US policy toward it, is the role of the influential Zionist power configuration (ZPC) including the leading umbrella organization — the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (CPMAJO) — Congressional Middle East committee members, officials occupying strategic positions in the Obama Administration’s Middle East bureaus, as well as prominent editors, publicists and journalists who play a major role in the prestigious newspapers and popular weekly magazines. This essay is based on a survey of every issue of the Daily Alert (propaganda bulletin of the CPMAJO), the NY Times and the Washington Post between January 25 — February 17, 2011. From the very beginning of the Egyptian pro-democracy movement, the ZPC, called into question the legitimacy of the anti-dictatorial demands by focusing on the “Islamic threat”. In particular the Washington Post, the Wall Street…more
Obama on Palestinian Rights: Nyet
Palestine Chronicle: 20 Feb 2011 – By Stephen Lendman On February 18, as expected, Washington vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements as illegal under international law. The vote: 14 yes, America the sole no, isolating the US and Israel on this long festering issue. The measure had nearly 120 co-sponsors. In a post-vote briefing, ambassador Susan Rice outrageously said: “….as the United States has said on many, many occasions for many years, we reject in the strongest terms the legitimacy of continued settlement activity.” Unsaid was that America, for many decades, funded Israel generously to build them, a process continuing grievously under Obama, besides outlandish amounts of military aid, support for Israel’s occupation, and partnering in all its aggressive wars. In a February 18 press release, Americans for Peace Now (APN) expressed “disappointment,” APN’s President and CEO Debra DeLee said, “President Barack Obama missed a key opportunity today to demonstrate US leadership on…more
Egypt… Awakening, 2011
Dissident Voice: 19 Feb 2011 – The darkness drops again; but now I know That twenty centuries of stony sleep Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle, And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? —William Butler Yeats I was pushed without my permission into a tangle of birthdays. listen, eavesdroppers, there is no such thing as a bed without affliction… —Lucille Clifton Hope springs eternal in the human breast. —Alexander Pope Five thousand years pointing at the sun; Five thousand years at moon and stars; Rising out of sand, each building block A Mac Truck of solidity, sheer weight Defying reason, begging the question, How? Five thousand years of pharaohs and invaders— Semites…, Hyksos…, Hittites…, Nubians…, Romans…, Turks…, Frenchmen…, Anglos…, Yanks… And the Nile flooding, the Nile receding, And all along its banks: Life and commerce; birth, love, suffering, death. Akhnaton sleeps with the first dream…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