10 March, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Ayalon: “Israel Will Absolve Itself From All Peace Deal, Should P.A Announce State”
IMEMC – Thursday March 10, 2011 – 21:48, Israeli deputy Foreign Minister, Danni Ayalon, threatened that should the Palestinian Authority declare a Palestinian state without reaching a comprehensive peace agreement with Israel, Tel Aviv will absolve itself from all deals and commitments signed with the Palestinians.
Fateh Rejects A Document Presented By Hamas “To End Internal Divisions”
IMEMC – Thursday March 10, 2011 – 21:32, After the Hamas movement presented a document that was described as a new initiative to achieve internal Palestinian unity, the rival Fateh movement rejected the document and said that Hamas is trying to subdue popular protests for change in the Gaza Strip.
Settlers to Share East Jerusalem Home
IMEMC – Thursday March 10, 2011 – 15:30, Israeli authorities decided, last week, that settlers will take over part of a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem, local sources reported.
Four Youths Arrested in Silwan
IMEMC – Thursday March 10, 2011 – 14:55, Israeli forces raided homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan Wednesday at dawn, and arrested four youths.
Denmark Upgrades Palestinian Representation to Mission
IMEMC – Thursday March 10, 2011 – 14:06, Denmark will upgrade the status of Palestinian delegation to the level of a mission, news agencies informed on Thursday.
Five Palestinians Arrested in Husan by Israeli Military
IMEMC – Thursday March 10, 2011 – 13:07, The Israeli military arrested five Palestinians, Thursday, from the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem.
As Protest On Gaza Border Continues, Israeli Officials Partially Open Unused Crossing
IMEMC – Wednesday March 09, 2011 – 19:15, After permanently closing the main commercial crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip two days ago, Israeli authorities allowed 10 trucks to cross into Gaza with building materials, Wednesday morning, through a crossing that has been closed for over three years.
Court: Settlers to share Palestinian home in Jerusalem
3/10/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — An Israeli court issued a decision last week allowing Israeli settlers to take part of a Palestinian family home in the Rad Al-Amoud neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem. The court decision came after an 11-year battle between the Hamdella family and American-Israeli billionaire Irving Moskowitz, who purchased the property in….
Army: 2 projectiles fired from Gaza land in Israel
3/10/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Two projectiles fired from the Gaza Strip landed in Israel overnight, the Israeli army reported. Israel’s online news site Ynet said one landed after 10 p. m. in the Eshkol Regional Council, an area east of Gaza, and a second around 7 a. m. Thursday in the….
17 Palestinians detained overnight
3/10/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli’s military detained 17 Palestinians in overnight raids across the occupied West Bank late Wednesday and early Thursday, the army announced. They were “suspected of terrorist activity” and taken for security questioning, the army said….
Report: Jordan bans settlement goods
3/10/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — The Jordanian Ministry of Commerce and Industry has published a list of 220 companies working in settlements on occupied Palestinian land, an Israeli media site said Thursday. Jordan is prohibiting their goods from entering and severing commercial ties, the Israeli website Inyan Merkazi (“Central Issues”) reported. The website said….
Gaza crossing still shut amid transport strike
3/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A transport workers strike as kept Gaza’s Kerem Shalom crossing for a fifth day Thursday, as truck drivers take the wheel of a protest demanding an end to the closure of Gaza’s only bulk goods crossing, announced the week before. The strikers were demanding that the….
Hamas appoints first female minister in reshuffle
3/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (AFP) — Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza reshuffled his cabinet on Thursday, appointing a female minister to his government for the first time. The reorganisation, which the Islamist group announced in a statement, leaves the 15-member cabinet largely unchanged, and does not bring members of any other Palestinian political groups into the….
Israeli forces detain 4 from Hebron area
3/10/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Overnight raids conducted by Israeli forces in the West Bank saw eight Palestinians detained, with four said to have been from the Hebron area, taken from their homes following extensive searches. The village of Surif west of Hebron was targeted by one raid, with Palestinian security officials telling Ma’an….
Islamic Jihad leader released from prison
3/10/2011 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities released a leader of the Islamic Jihad movement in the West Bank, Bassam As-Sa’di, from Jenin refugee camp after being imprisoned for eight years in the Israeli jails. Mahmoud As-Sa’di, one of the movement’s leaders in the West Bank, told Ma’an….
Obama names aide as ambassador to Israel
3/10/2011 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President Barack Obama nominated top White House aide Daniel Shapiro as ambassador to Israel Wednesday, following a testing two years between his administration and the Netanyahu government. Shapiro currently serves as senior director for the Middle East and North Africa on Obama’s National Security Council and is seen as having….
Report: Palestinian worker dies in Israel
3/10/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — A Palestinian worker died in a fire outside Tel Aviv Wednesday night, the Israeli news site Ynet reported. The incident took place at a work site in Petah Tikva. Israeli police said an investigation into the causes of the fire had been opened. The man, who was not identified….
Man shot in Rafah tunnel
3/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A young Gaza man was found dead Thursday in one of the underground tunnels south of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Medical sources identified the slain teenager as Kareem Sabaheen, 19, who medics told Ma’an was shot Thursday morning in a tunnel. His body was transferred to the….
Denmark ups Palestinians to mission status
3/10/2011 – COPENHAGEN (Ma’an) — The PLO representative office in Denmark has been designated as a mission with full diplomatic status, giving officials powers equal to that of other countries. Denmark is the latest in a string of European nations to recognize Palestinian diplomats with full rank, making the announcement Wednesday after British officials did the….
Danish minister fired in row on citizenship for Palestinians
3/10/2011 – COPENHAGEN (AFP) — Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said Tuesday he fired his integration minister over a scandal involving 36 young, stateless Palestinians who were wrongly denied citizenship.” Birthe Roenn Hornbech is leaving her post as integration minister and church minister and thus withdraws from the government,” he said in a statement, prompting a small….
Quartet talks peace with Israel, Palestinians
3/10/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Envoys of the Middle East Quartet were meeting with Israel’s chief peace negotiator on Thursday, as his country faced growing pressure to break the logjam in talks with the Palestinians. Talks with Israeli envoy Yitzhak Molcho were being hosted by the US embassy, with Washington represented by David Hale, assistant to….
Hamas holds summit to weigh reconciliation options
3/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas invited factions on Wednesday to a meeting on reconciliation, but the discussion was not well-attended. Five factions within the PLO, including Fatah, failed to show up at the event intended to produce a counter-proposal to Salam Fayyad’s offer to join a unity government. Mahmoud Az-Zaq, a Hamas….
DFLP: Hamas all-factions meeting ‘nothing new’
3/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — An official from the leftist faction the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine told Ma’an on Wednesdaythat a meeting hosted by Hamas in Gaza “presented nothing new,” despite promises of a new unity effort. The leading party of the coastal enclave had called an all-factions meeting, where….
Hamas announces Gaza government reshuffle
3/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas officials in Gaza announced Thursday the formation of a new government headed by the party’s leader Ismail Haniyeh. The new government is an expanded form of the last, made up entirely of Hamas members, six of them newly appointed, in addition to a new cabinet secretary-general. Many….
Al-Bardawil: cabinet reshuffle has no political goals
3/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas leader and PLC member Salah Al-Bardawil said Hamas’ Thursday cabinet shuffle “has no political goals,” but rather aimed at improving the performance of the government.” The shuffle will ease the burden of those ministers who held more than one portfolio,” he explained. Six new ministers were added to….
In photos: Palestine edged out of Olympic qualifier
3/10/2011 – MaanImages – Palestine won the match but lost its chance at advancing in the Olympic qualifiers on Wednesday, when a shootout against the Thai National Football Team came up short at 6:5. Thailand beat Palestine in Bangkok 1:0, but was beaten 0:1 when the Palestinian National Team played them in their first Olympic….
France, Germany urge EU dialogue with Libyan rebels
3/10/2011 – BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe on Thursday said Paris and Berlin were calling on their European Union partners to engage in dialogue with Libyan opposition leaders. Speaking after talks with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, Juppe said, “We are on the same track to say Colonel Gadhafi is discredited, he must go….
British newspaper reporter missing in Libya
3/10/2011 – LONDON (AFP) — A British newspaper said on Thursday that one of its correspondents had gone missing in Libya and it was urgently trying to establish his whereabouts. Iraqi national Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, who has been reporting from western Libya for the past two weeks, was last in touch with The Guardian daily through a third party….
US moves to shut down Libyan embassy
3/10/2011 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States is moving to shut down the official Libyan embassy in Washington, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday….
Brazilian reporter held in Libya released, daily says
3/10/2011 – SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — A Brazilian reporter held for a week in Libya by security officials was released Thursday in good health and was in the care of Brazil’s ambassador to the conflict-torn country, his newspaper said….
Gulf states say Libyan regime ‘illegitimate’
3/10/2011 – RIYADH (AFP) — The Arab states in the Gulf stressed on Thursday that the Libyan regime of Moamer Kadhafi is illegitimate and that contacts should be initiated with the rebels….
Gadhafi son warns east Libya rebels: ‘We’re coming’
3/10/2011 – TRIPOLI (AFP) — Libyan leader Moamer Gadhafi’s son Seif al-Islam on Thursday issued a warning of “we’re coming” and that his forces were advancing towards their bastion of Benghazi in eastern Libya….
Gadhafi son says victory ‘in sight’
3/10/2011 – TRIPOLI (AFP) — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s son Seif al-Islam said victory was “in sight” against rebels after an unprecedented revolt against his four-decade rule, at a meeting on Thursday with young regime supporters….
Libya rebels in retreat as West ponders action
3/10/2011 – RAS LANUF, Libya (AFP) — Relentless pounding by Moammar Gadhafi’s forces sent rebels fleeing a key oil hub on Thursday and a town near Tripoli was recaptured, as the Red Cross warned of escalating conflict in Libya and called it civil war. As loyalists wrested back the initiative on the battlefield, a source close….
Brazilian reporter freed after being held in Libya
3/10/2011 – SAO PAULO (AFP) — A Brazilian reporter held for a week in Libya by security officials was released Thursday in good health and was in the care of Brazil’s ambassador to the conflict-torn country, his newspaper said. Andrei Netto, 34, was now staying in the Tripoli residence of Brazilian ambassador George Ney Fernandes, the….
Oil slides on economic woes; traders eye Saudi ‘protests’
3/10/2011 – LONDON (AFP) — World oil prices dived Thursday as traders fretted over downbeat economic news, despite jitters over Libyan unrest on the eve of planned protests in OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia. New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in April, tumbled $2. 94 to $101. 44 a barrel. Brent North Sea crude….
Italy’s ENI says growth target depends on Libya
3/10/2011 – MILAN (AFP) — Italy’s ENI, the biggest foreign energy major in Libya, said Thursday it would only be able to hit its yearly growth target for 2011-2014 if normal production resumed in the strife-torn country.” ENI confirms its strategy of production growth with an average annual increase of over 3% in the 2011….
US says in `direct contact` with Libyan opposition
3/10/2011 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States said Thursday it was in “direct contact” with senior members of Libya’s opposition including members of the rebel National Council fighting Moammar Gadhafi’s rule….
Witness: Saudi police wound 3 Shiite protesters
3/10/2011 – RIYADH (AFP) — Saudi police shot and wounded three Shiite protesters in the oil-rich Eastern Province on Thursday while trying to disperse a protest calling for the release of prisoners, a witness told AFP….
Greece says plane on way to Tripoli to fetch Dutch soldiers
3/10/2011 – ATHENS (AFP) — A C-130 Greek airforce plane was Thursday on its way to Tripoli to collect three Dutch soldiers held by the Libyans after a botched attempt to free civilians, a Greek Defence Ministry source said….
In West Bank, a loss in soccer is still seen as a victory
Palestine Note 10 Mar 2011 – Washington Post – When the game was finally over, after extra time and penalty kicks, the Palestinian squad had lost to Thailand. But the Palestinian national team’s first official soccer match on home turf Wednesday gave…
France Becomes First Country to Recognize Libyan Rebels
Palestine Note 10 Mar 2011 – European Union to toughen stance on Libya New York Times – Moving ahead of its allies, France on Thursday became the first country to recognize Libya ‘s rebel leadership in the eastern city of Benghazi and…
Representative King’s Hearings on Radicalization in the American Muslim Community
Palestine Note 10 Mar 2011 – U.S. Congressional Representative Peter King is scheduled to host hearings on “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response” beginning today. While controversial, these hearings can be a hopeful development, one…
GCC: Libya regime lost legitimacy
AlJazeera 10 Mar 2011 – GCC ministerial council says the current Libyan regime has lost its legitimacy.
Sectarian clashes at Bahrain school
AlJazeera 10 Mar 2011 – Violence between Shia and Sunni parents at school as Gulf nation braces itself for Friday’s march on the royal court.
AU claims Somalia operation success
AlJazeera 10 Mar 2011 – Envoy says major offensive by peacekeepers reclaimed ‘significant’ territory from rebels in war-torn country.
Forum focuses on Arab revolutions
AlJazeera 10 Mar 2011 – Al Jazeera event features global figures alongside young activists and bloggers credited with leading Arab uprisings.
US hearing on ‘radical Islam’ opens
AlJazeera 10 Mar 2011 – Controversial congressman warns al-Qaeda is recruiting US Muslims in proceedings described by some as a witch hunt.
Saudi Arabia police ‘fire at rally’
AlJazeera 10 Mar 2011 – Police reportedly open fire at several hundred protesters marching in eastern city of Qatif, AP reports.
Gbagbo rejects fresh calls to quit
AlJazeera 10 Mar 2011 – Incumbent president rejects African Union-brokered plan to cede power to rival, imposes “no-fly zone” over Cote d’Ivoire
New constitution promised for Yemen
AlJazeera 10 Mar 2011 – President Saleh pledges to hold referendum on new constitution within a year but protesters say offer comes “too late”.
Palestine host Thais in West Bank
AlJazeera 10 Mar 2011 – Second leg of London 2012 Olympic qualifier against Thailand is first competitive home match in half a century.
Prisoners Club: Etzion Prison Staff Makes Detainees Stand Outside in Underwear
PNN – Ramallah – PNN – The Palestinian Prisoners Club said on Thursday that it was a common punishment in Etzion military prison in the southern West Bank for prison staffers to make prisoners…
U.S. Consulate Jerusalem Cautions Against Diversity Visa Scams
PNN – Jerusalem – PNN – The U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem sent out a warning on Wednesday advises the public of a notable increase in fraudulent emails and letters sent to Diversity Immigrant…
Palestinian Technology Venture Fund MEVCF Launches Operations
PNN – Ramallah – MEVCF to PNN – The Middle East Venture Capital Fund announced this week that it has secured $28.7M from leading international companies, foundations, and other investors for the first venture…
Denmark Grants Palestinian Representatives Mission Status, Abbas Praises Efforts
PNN – Copenhagen – PNN – Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen confirmed on Thursday that Denmark would upgrade the status of the Palestinian delegation to a full mission, following in the footsteps of…
Israeli Soldiers Raid Bethlehem District, Arrest Five
PNN – Bethlehem – PNN – Israeli forces raided Bethlehem district in the southern West Bank on Thursday and arrested five Palestinians from the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem. Secure local sources said…
Settler Group Threatens European, American Diplomats in Ramallah
PNN – Ramallah – PNN – European and American diplomats in Ramallah told the London-based al-Hayat newspaper that a group of settlers handed them letters last Thursday threatening them over their position on settlements…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (03-09 Mar. 2011)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Sarkozy, Cameron urge EU to draw plans to aid anti-Gadhafi rebellion
Ha’aretz – In letter to the European Union’s president, British and French leaders say Gadhafi’s regime has lost all legitimacy, adding that Europe must ‘end the suffering of the Libyan people.’
MESS Report / Hamas militants to resume efforts against IDF in West Bank
Ha’aretz –
UN official: Israel kidnapped Palestinian engineer from Ukraine
Ha’aretz –
‘Egypt releases two prisoners involved in assassination of former president Anwar Sadat’
Ha’aretz –
Jerusalem & Babylon / Lobbying for the release of Jonathan Pollard will only worsen U.S. ties
Ha’aretz –
U.S. Senator McCain tells Netanyahu he supports release of Jonathan Pollard
Ha’aretz –
Bedouin reject compensation offer, accusing Israel of land grab
Ha’aretz –
New Turkish satellite could publish uncensored images of Israel
Ha’aretz –
Barak’s wife to be charged with employing illegal worker
Ha’aretz – Nili Priel admits to hiring an illegal foreign worker as a house cleaner; AG indicated Barak himself would not be charged as there was insufficient evidence linking him to the case.
Storm brings snow to north but fails to reach Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – Jerusalem residents were disappointed Thursday morning to find that the northern snowfall did not reach the capital; alas, Jerusalem residents were left to brave low temperatures and wind-chill, minus the predicted snow.
Netanyahu: Settler harassment of Arabs would have shocked Begin
Ha’aretz – At memorial service for former prime minister and Likud leader, Netanyahu reiterates that the State of Israel will not tolerate such a ‘distorted’ form of protest against the government.
Peres: Libya’s Gadhafi is the ugly face of dictatorship
Ha’aretz – Addressing Jerusalem student union, President slams beleaguered Libyan Leader for his extravagant dress, saying he ‘should have worked for Dior.’
Fatah snubs new Hamas Palestinian unity initiative
Ha’aretz – Earlier in day, Hamas announced a reshuffle of its Gaza-based government, including the appointment of a new foreign minister.
Hamas appoints foreign minister for first time in cabinet reshuffle
Ha’aretz – Hamas says that leader Ismail Haniyeh’s decision to reorganize his government has no correlations with the unrest rocking the Arab region.
Deputy FM: Gaza smuggling on the rise amid Mideast unrest
Ha’aretz – Danny Ayalon accuses militants of taking advantage of uncertainties in region to booster capabilities ‘to attack Israeli cities and Israeli citizens.’
Obama officially names Daniel Shapiro as new U.S. ambassador to Israel
Ha’aretz – Daniel Shapiro is an adviser to Obama administration on recent upheaval that has swept Mideast; he is currently senior director for Mideast and North Africa on White House National Security Council.
Denmark to upgrade status of Palestinian representation to ‘mission’
Ha’aretz – Upgrade from third-highest ranking of general delegation mirrors move made recently by number of other countries, including Britain.
‘Egypt releases two prisoners linked to Sadat shooting’
Jeruslalem Post 10 Mar 2011 – Abboud el-Zomor and Tarek el-Zomor were members of an Islamic group, had been sentenced for trying to overthrow Egyptian regime.
Poll finds 83 % of Likud members oppose concessions
Jeruslalem Post 10 Mar 2011 – Only 5 % of faction members in favor of creating Palestinian state in temporary borders, even though it could soon become PM’s peace plan.
UN: Israel abducted Palestinian engineer in Ukraine
Jeruslalem Post 10 Mar 2011 – UN says Dirar Abu Sisi, an engineer from Gaza, is in an Israeli prison on terror charges; sister says 6 Israelis nabbed him on a train.
Mafioso nabbed for employing illegal Palestinian workers
Jeruslalem Post 10 Mar 2011 – Most of the workers in Francois Abutbul’s bakery were in Israel illegally without work permits; underworld criminals plot to kill Abutbul.
Clinton to stress democracy on Egypt, Tunisia trip
Jeruslalem Post 10 Mar 2011 – US Secretary of State to meet Libyan rebels, visit region for the first time since popular revolts toppled US-allied governments.
PA pushing Quartet to recognize 1967 borders
Jeruslalem Post 10 Mar 2011 – Erekat: East J’lem must be Palestinian capital, there will be no peace if Israel controls Jordan Valley, demands continuity between W. Bank, Gaza.
Hamas reshuffles cabinet; Fatah calls move a ‘ploy’
Jeruslalem Post 10 Mar 2011 – Measure likely to harm efforts for Fatah-Hamas reconciliation; as part of reshuffle, Gaza leadership appoints woman to serve as minister.
National poets to appear on new series of banknotes
Jeruslalem Post 10 Mar 2011 – Bank of Israel announces new list, including Alterman, Tchernichovsky and Rachel, more than a year after shelving original suggestions
JPOST Classic: Begin discusses peace with Egypt
Jeruslalem Post 10 Mar 2011 – In clip from 1978, PM Menachem Begin recalls deliberations preceding Camp David Accords with Egypt.
Rights group: IDF troops returned African migrants to Sinai
Jeruslalem Post 10 Mar 2011 – Eritrean migrant says IDF gathered group of 67 Africans caught crossing Egypt-Israel border, separated men and women, sent men back over.
Do American Jews still like Israel?
Jeruslalem Post 10 Mar 2011 – They do, they don’t, sometimes it’s hard for them to decide. An excerpt from JPost blogger’s new Hebrew book, “Shtetl, Bagel, Baseball.”
Dana International again to represent Israel at Eurovision
Jeruslalem Post 9 Mar 2011 – Singer responsible for Israel’s last song contest win in 1998 will travel to Dusseldorf with her song “Ding Dong.”
North and J’lem gear up for white stuff
Jeruslalem Post 9 Mar 2011 – After blizzard in Hermon, light snow expected in Golan, Galilee, J’lem; emergency centers open, tractors, salt trucks prepare for icy roads.
Israel to evict family from home in Jerusalem
10 Mar 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)- The so-called evacuation department in Jerusalem approved Thursday the demolition of parts of a home belonged to a Palestinian family in the area of Ras El-Amoud, eastern the city to make way for Israelis .
Iranian People Preparing for Mass Revolution
Uruknet March 10, 2011 – The security/intelligence officials of the regime, in order to explain the re-emergence of the people’s anti-dictatorial uprising in Iran, are again resorting to thread-bare worn out conspiracies about the American strategy of ‘velvet revolution’. Hossein Ta’eb, Revolutionary Guard’s chief of intelligence (meaning, regime’s real intelligence service) on Wednesday, March 2, in a gathering of the…
UN suspects Israel in kidnapping of Palestinian in Ukraine
Uruknet March 10, 2011 — The Palestinian engineer vanished from a Ukrainian train in the middle of the night. Now, the United Nations refugee agency confirms his wife’s fears that he is being held in prison by the Israeli secret service, most likely after being kidnapped nearly three weeks ago. Dirar Abu Sisi, 42, went missing “under unknown circumstances” in…
Dutch opposition boycotts parliamentary delegation to Israel
Uruknet March 10, 2011 – Dutch opposition parties boycotted a parliamentary delegation to the Middle East in February after parties supporting the right-wing government insisted on going ahead with the visit despite an Israeli government ban on allowing the lawmakers to visit the besieged Gaza Strip. Following the uprising that overthrew former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and after Israeli Foreign…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (03-09 Mar. 2011)
Uruknet March 10, 2011 – Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (03 – 09 March 2011): Shooting: During the reporting period, 11 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, and an international solidarity activist were wounded by IOF and Israeli settlers in the West Bank. In a joint attack by a number…
Terror Suspects in the UK, Torture, the Law, Solitary Confinement, Bradley Manning and WikiLeaks: Angola 3 News Interviews Activist Richard Haley
Uruknet March 10, 2011 – My friend Richard Haley, of Scotland Against Criminalising Communities (SACC), recently put me up for two nights in Edinburgh, during a visit as part of my ongoing tour of the documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from Guant?°namo,” which I co-directed with filmmaker Polly Nash. Richard and I have known each other for many years…
Palestinians eke out living on dump recycling
Uruknet March 10, 2011 — Among the gentle slopes of cypress-covered hills near the West Bank city of Hebron is an anomaly, a stinking garbage dump that is workplace and home to dozens of men and boys. The quiet that hangs over neighboring olive groves, in the far south of the West Bank, is broken here by the shouts of…
Clinton to meet Libyan rebels
Uruknet March 10, 2011 – Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, is to meet with leaders of Libya’s opposition council during a trip to the Middle East next week, she has told US lawmakers. Clinton’s statement of intent comes as France on Thursday became the first major European country to recognise Libya’s opposition National Council based in Benghazi as…
On International Women’s Day: Remember Palestinian Female Prisoners
Uruknet March 9, 2011 – Today, as the world celebrates International Women’s Day, we celebrate Palestine and her daughters. We celebrate the mother, the daughter, the sister, the aunt. We celebrate the teacher, the student, the worker, the farmer, the nurse, the doctor, the architect, the engineer. We celebrate the organizer, the protester, the activist, the stone-thrower, the freedom-fighter. We…
Revolution Interviews Raymond Lotta: The Events in Libya in Historical Perspective… Muammar Qaddafi in Class Perspective… The Question of Leadership in Communist Perspective
Uruknet March 9, 2011 – It’s an important place to start the discussion. The uprising in Libya is an expression of profound discontent in Libyan society. Broad sections of Libyan society, taking inspiration from events in Tunisia and Egypt, have risen against an oppressive regime. And this uprising in Libya is part of the wave of rebellion sweeping through the…
EU Parliament to review prison conditions inside Israel
Uruknet March 9, 2011 – On 15 March 2011, the EU Parliament’s Sub-Committee on Human Rights will review prison conditions in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In advance of the hearing, DCI-Palestine has lodged a submission relating to conditions faced by Palestinian child detainees held in Israeli interrogation and detention facilities and prisons. DCI-Palestine’s submission to the Sub-Committee provides…
Israeli settlers attack unarmed Palestinian villagers in their homesEXCLUSIVE PICTURES
Uruknet March 9, 2011 – Yesterday (08.03), the Rafidia Hospital in the West Bank city of Nablus received dozens of casualties from the south Nablus village of Qasra. The injured villagers were attacked by scores of Israeli settlers from the settlement of Yash Ed which is built on territory belonging to the Qasra village. The illegal settlement had been previously…
Mahal and the Dispossession of the Palestinians
Uruknet March 9, 2011 – The participation of thousands of overseas volunteers (the Mahal) in Zionist military operations conducted throughout the 1948 war has received insufficient critical attention. Mainly English-speaking World War II veterans recruited by the Zionist movement in the West for their expertise in such needed specializations as artillery, armored warfare, and aerial combat, the Mahal’s importance to…
Egypt-Israeli relations continue to cool
Uruknet March 9, 2011 – The success of the Egyptian revolution has cast a shadow of uncertainty over future relations between Israel and Egypt. Even though it is too early to predict the course of events, there have been indications that relations between the two will be much cooler than under Hosni Mubarak. The appointment of Nabil al-Arabi as Egypt’s…
IDF is preparing for mass civil uprising in West Bank
Uruknet March 9, 2011 – The Central Command and the Judea and Samaria Division of the Israel Defense Forces have been closely monitoring the recent events in Arab states and updating their operational plans for dealing with a potential popular, nonviolent uprising. Nearly a year ago the Judea and Samaria Division drew up a comprehensive program to combat large demonstrations…
Prevention Of Assimilation in the Holy Land
Uruknet March 9, 2011 – The ultraconservative Lehava organization mounted a new campaign, issuing kashrut certification to Israeli restaurants that hire Jews, exclusively. The signs will read: “We hire Jewish workers and no enemies.” This reflects a recurring anxiety in the Orthodox Jewish community: interracial mixing. “Assimilation has forever been one of the enemies of the Jewish people,” Baruch Marzel…
Netanyahu’s Illusory Peace Plan
Uruknet March 9, 2011 – Benjamin Netanyahu’s advisers conceded last week that the Israeli prime minister is more downcast than they have ever seen him. The reason for his gloominess is to be found in Israel’s diplomatic and strategic standing, which some analysts suggest is at its lowest ebb in living memory. Netanyahu’s concern was evident at a recent cabinet…
Egypt: Army makes arrests, clears protesters out of Tahrir Square
Uruknet March 9, 2011 – The Egyptian military said Wednesday it had arrested some 100 men armed with knives and weapons who were planning to carry out a new attack on protesters gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Up to 20 people were injured earlier in the day when a few hundred men attacked protesters camped out in the square, according…
Obama’s new executive order on Guantanamo
Uruknet March 9, 2011 – In other words, Obama — for reasons having nothing to do with Congress — worked from the start to preserve the crux of the Bush/Cheney detention regime. Even with these new added levels of detention review (all inside the Executive Branch), this new Executive Order is little more than a by-product of that core commitment,…
Alternative Information Center
Netanyahu Appoints Ultra Right-Right National Security Adviser
Alternative Information Center – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday the appointment of radical right wing retired Maj. Gen. Jacob Amidror to head the National Security Council, prompting a letter of protest from prominent leftists. Netanyahu further offered cabinet positions…
Chicago Activists Rename Downtown Street Signs in Honor of Murdered Palestinian Youth
Alternative Information Center – Thursday, March 10th, 2011, 7am: Responding to an international call to action, Palestinian solidarity activists in Chicago renamed street signs on downtown street corners commemorating a Palestinian youth killed two years ago by the Israeli military….
Court Orders Palestinian Family to Share Jerusalem Home with Settlers
Alternative Information Center – The Hamdallah family of the East Jerusalem neighborhood Ras al-Amud has been ordered to share their home with Israeli settlers. The decision, made by an Israeli court, follows an 11-year legal battle between the family and…
Dexia Excluded from Triodos Sustainable Investments due to Involvement in Israeli Settlements
Alternative Information Center – Belgian bank Dexia has been excluded from the Triodos sustainable investment universe because of its ongoing financing of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Israeli settlers threaten Western diplomats
Daily Star 10 Mar 2011 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Western diplomats working with the Palestinians said Thursday they have received threatening letters warning that they are “at risk” because of their nations’ criticism of settlements. Diplomatic sources at several foreign missions in East…
Turkish satellite to end blackout on detailed images of Israel
Daily Star 10 Mar 2011 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: A new Turkish satellite has Israelis eyeing the end of a U.S.-backed blackout on high-resolution commercial photography of their turf from space. The GokTurk satellite due in orbit by 2013 will sell images of…
Egypt says it will no longer tap citizens’ phone calls
Daily Star 10 Mar 2011 Egypt’s interior minister vowed Thursday that private telephones will no longer be tapped and said the state security apparatus will be restricted to combating terrorism and espionage. On the diplomatic front, Syrian President Bashar Assad said…
Palestinian family in East Jerusalem told to make way for Jewish settlers
The Guardian 10 Mar 2011 – Court order to evacuate room follows 11-year battle waged by US millionaire Irving Moskowitz A Palestinian family in East Jerusalem have been ordered to evacuate a room in their home so Jewish settlers can move in,…
Israel to get first museum of Arab art and culture
The Guardian 10 Mar 2011 – Living testimonies from century of conflict will form basis for $30m museum in Israeli-Arab city In a spring storm of driving rain this week, I visited an art gallery in Umm al-Fahm, an Israeli-Arab city just…
OPT: Problems ensuring security lead to Karni closing
Relief Web 10 Mar 2011 – Source: Government of Israel
Rapport du Groupe de travail sur l’Examen p?©riodique universel : Liban (A/HRC/16/18)
Relief Web 10 Mar 2011 – Source: UN General Assembly, UN Human Rights Council
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (03-09 Mar 2011)
Relief Web 10 Mar 2011 – Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Internews Celebrates the Contributions of Women Journalists
Relief Web 9 Mar 2011 – Source: Internews Network
Q&A: ‘Women Are Shackled During Childbirth’
IPS Female Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel are often denied legal representation and medical care while being housed in squalid conditions that can include sharing cells with rodents.
Commemorate Land Day 2011 by Joining the Global BDS Day of Action 30 March
Stop The Wall – The BDS National Committee (BNC) is calling on you to unite in your different capacities and struggles to join the Global BDS Day of Action on Land Day, 30 March 2011, in solidarity with the Palestinian people’s right to self determination on their ancestral land. [
Basques cook up terror attack
YNet News – Embassy cancels Israeli food event in Basque region of Spain after receiving….
Obama selects close aide Shapiro as Israel ambassador
YNet News – Hebrew-speaking Harvard graduate worked closely with Mitchell on effort to….
Denmark upgrades Palestinian diplomatic status
YNet News – Palestinian delegation to be upgraded from ‘Palestinian general representation’….
Barak’s wife faces indictment
YNet News – An indictment is expected to be filed next week against Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s wife, Nili Priel, who is suspected of illegally employing a foreign worker at the …….
Bedouins slated to get ownership of Negev lands
YNet News – After years of struggles, Bedouins in Israel are slated to get ownership of Negev lands, a draft report to be presented to the government indicates. A team tasked with …….
UN accuses Israel of kidnapping Palestinian
YNet News – The United Nations refugee agency is accusing Israel of kidnapping a Palestinian engineer from a Ukrainian train three weeks ago and confirmed his wife’s fears that he is …….
‘Crime figure employed illegal Palestinian aliens’
YNet News – Police arrested crime figure Francois Abutbul on Thursday for allegedly employing three Palestinians residing in Israel illegally. He was later released by police …….
Gaza’s Hamas ruler reshuffles Cabinet
YNet News – Gaza’s Hamas leader on Thursday reshuffled his Cabinet in the isolated Palestinian territory. Hamas says that Ismail Haniyeh’s move is unrelated to the unrest …….
Palestinian Information Center
IOA expels Jerusalemite family from part of its home
PIC 10 Mar 2011 – Israeli occupation authorities are expected to force a Palestinian family to evacuate home in Ras Al-Amud in occupied Jerusalem after 11-year court battle with American millionaire and settler patron.
Radwan: Factions discussed the establishment of national leadership
PIC 10 Mar 2011 – Ismail Radwan said the Palestinian factions met on Wednesday and discussed the initiative made earlier by Hamas and its main ideas, most importantly, the establishment of transitional leadership.
Hamas dismayed at Hague statement on elections
PIC 10 Mar 2011 – Hamas expressed absolute dismay at recent statements for British foreign secretary William Hague in which he falsely accused the movement of strangling democratic freedom of opinion.
Angered relatives close UNRWA clinic after death of refugee child
PIC 10 Mar 2011 – Palestinians angered at the preventable death of Mohammed Nabeeh Taha, 11, have closed the UNRWA clinic inside the Wadi al-Halwa refugee camp in Lebanon.
First deal clinched to bring building materials to Gaza via Rafah crossing
PIC 10 Mar 2011 – The Arab and International Commission to Build Gaza has clinched the first ever formal deal that would bring construction materials into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing.
Land center: Israel committed more than 25 violations last month in J’lem
PIC 10 Mar 2011 – The land research center in the occupied city of Jerusalem said it documented more than 25 violations committed by the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) and Jewish settlers during last February.
Human rights watch calls on Israel to stop razing Palestinian homes
PIC 10 Mar 2011 – Human rights watch demanded Israel on Tuesday to cease the discriminatory demolition of Palestinian homes in the 1948 occupied territories.
Arab MK Zahalka questions Aharonovich on child abuse video
PIC 10 Mar 2011 – Arab Knesset Member Jamal Zahalka has submitted an urgent interpellation against Israeli Minister of Internal Security Yitshak Aharonovich questioning him over “excessive force” used against a boy.
IOF troops round up 17 West Bankers
PIC 10 Mar 2011 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up 17 Palestinians in various West Bank areas at dawn Thursday after forcing entire families out of their homes in the severe weather conditions.
MP Ashqar: Cabinet reshuffle to ask for PLC confidence vote
PIC 10 Mar 2011 – Hamas MP Ismail Al-Ashqar said that the government of premier Ismail Haneyya is to ask for a vote of confidence at the Palestinian legislative council on Thursday after reshuffling its members.
LETTER TO WILLIAM HAGUE – HER MAJESTY’S AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL AND THE LAW
Intifada-Palestine: 10 Mar 2011 – The Rt Honourable William J Hague 10 March 2011 The Foreign and Commonwealth Office King Charles St London SW1A 2AH HAGUEW@parliament.uk Re: Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Israel and the law Dear Mr Hague, I wrote to you ** 10 November 2010 with… more
WHY DO MOST AMERICANS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THESE ISSUES
Intifada-Palestine: 10 Mar 2011 – by Dr Alan Sabrosky (Ph.D, University of Michigan), a ten-year US Marine Corps veteran and a 1986 graduate of the US Army War College. This is not intended for those who follow these issues, but as a primer for a general…more
THE GRIEVOUS RETURN OF HENRY KISSINGER – AN ANALYSIS BY DR. LAWRENCE DAVIDSON
Intifada-Palestine: 9 Mar 2011 – by: Dr. Lawrence Davidson The Gods protect us, Henry Kissinger is back! Henry Kissinger was President Richard Nixon’s National Security Advisor and then Secretary of State. He also held the latter position under President Gerald Ford. While it would be unfair… more
IBRAHIM EBEID: SPOTLIGHT ON LIBYA
Intifada-Palestine: 9 Mar 2011 – by Ibrahim Ebeid Why the US is interested in Libya The protests that we are witnessing in Libya must be examined carefully and wisely. We have to realize that the intifada of Libya is not totally a genuine one for reform;… more
Sectarian fighting breaks out in Bahrain girls’ school
The National 11 Mar 2011 – Opposition group urge cancellation of protest march on royal palace to avoid stoking up sectarian tension in Bahrain between Sunnis and Shiites.
Netanyahu faces test of political survival skills
LA Times 10 Mar 2011 – The Israeli prime minister’s approval rating has fallen to 32% and a major coalition partner has left, leaving his government vulnerable. A proposed ‘bold’ new peace plan is seen as a way to boost his standing, but some say he is showing signs of desperation….
Israel Holds Gaza Engineer, Relatives Say
New York Times 10 Mar 2011 – The engineer, who disappeared last month in Ukraine, may have been kidnapped.
Obama Chooses Daniel Shapiro as Ambassador to Israel
New York Times 10 Mar 2011 – The president’s choice is a senior adviser who has been helping to devise policy to address the changing situation in the Middle East.
HEBRON: Israeli soldiers attack nonviolent demonstrators calling for opening of Shuhada Street.
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
AT-TUWANI: Masked Israeli settlers chase schoolchildren, give directions to Border Police
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
AT-TUWANI: Photos and video of settlers who chased children and conferred with Border Police now available
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
HEBRON REFLECTION: A normal day in the lives of my Palestinian neighbors.
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
SOUTH HEBRON HILLS: Israeli military demolishes village of Amniyr
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
Jon Stewart compares settlements to terrorism, and gets laughs in the process
Mondoweiss – The Daily Show – How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sharia? Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes , Political Humor & Satire Blog , The Daily Show on Facebook Last night I fired up the Daily Show on my computer, something I hadn’t done in weeks. A segment…
U.S. funded Israeli-linked security company pushes anti-Muslim ideology
Mondoweiss – As Representative Peter King’s hearings on “Muslim radicalization” refocus attention on Islamophobia, a new report sheds light on the network of private security firms tapping into public funds that push an anti-Muslim agenda to law enforcement agencies. An organization called Security Solutions International (SSI) is one…
Confused why Peter King is putting American Muslims on trial? One answer might be to follow the money.
Mondoweiss – Sociologist Charles Kurzman recently reported ( PDF ) a drop in attempted or actual terrorist activity by American Muslims from 47 perpetrators and suspects in 2009 to 20 in 2010. In addition, it turns out that when it comes to exposing alleged terrorist plots, “the largest single source…
The women of Benghazi
Mondoweiss – And more news from the ongoing struggle in Libya: Qadhafi’s Crimes Saif al Islam Gaddafi says “the time has come for full-scale military action” against Libyan rebels He goes on to say that Libyan forces loyal to his family “will never surrender, even if western powers…
Who Are you Calling a Feminist?
Palestine Monitor – From a moral, political, practical standpoint we can’t allow ourselves to identify with women’s rights while other women are being oppressed elsewhere. This article was originally published on The Jerusalem Post. All photos by Lazar Simeonov and Elo B. In 1977, the UN General Assembly voted…
Miral fights an R rating in a difficult political climate
Mondoweiss – The filmmakers behind Miral are finally preparing for its March 25th release and are now having to fight with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) over a possible R rating. This would not only hurt the film’s commercial chances, but also keep it from one…
Dirar Abu Seesi: Breaking the Israeli Gag
Tikun Olam – Looks like we’re in the infant stages of breaking the Israeli gag on reporting the kidnapping, extraordinary rendition, & imprisonment of Dirar Abu Seesi, first in a Shabak torture facililty and now in Shikma Prison. Rechavia Berman has published the news at his blog. So…
Peter King’s Anti-Muslim Jihad
Tikun Olam – Tomorrow, Rep. Peter King, one of the most prominent anti-Muslim members of Congress (who wrote a suspense novel about a Congressman who foils an Al Qaeda plot), plans to hold the first of several hearings on the supposed menace posed by the radicalization of American Muslims….
How To End the Brandeis Hillel Brouhaha
The Magnes Zionist 9 Mar 2011 – Phil Weiss published parts of the rejection letter that Jewish Voice for Peace received from the Brandeis Hillel student board. A careful reading of that letter shows something quite remarkable – the student board appears to be quite uncomfortable with its own decision. Instead of giving…
Please report any unattended human rights
The Only Democracy? JVP 10 Mar 2011 – I read Neve Gordon’s piece a few months back about human rights websites being banned at Ben Gurion airpor t, and thought what a perfect microcosm of the front Israel is trying to put up to the world. While they wouldn’t think of banning such websites…
Israeli solidarity activist interrogated by police for “incitement”
The Only Democracy? JVP 9 Mar 2011 – Sara Benninga, whose speech I reposted here on the blog, was interrogated by the police after speaking at the JStreet conference I attended. She provided one of the voices for a new direction for Jewish and Israeli activists working alongside Palestinians for justice. For this she…
Rodin statue stolen in Jerusalem
BBC 10 Mar 2011 – A bronze statue by French sculptor Auguste Rodin was stolen during the Israel Museum’s recently completed renovation, the museum has said.
Articles
State recognition and hypocrisy
Santiago Gonzalez Vallejo, Ma’an News Agency3/9/2011
Israel’s continued colonization of what remains of historic Palestine makes a Palestinian state nonviable. The PLO’s early dream of seeing a bi-national secular, democratic Palestine collided with Zionist racism, which has always has chosen in favor of conquest and the exclusion of Palestinians. From there, the Zionists used the colonies to deplete resources and bring Jews into the conquered areas — in sum, putting the Jewish State of Israel ahead of any other consideration, which also makes the possibility of a circumscribed Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza unrealistic.
In 1988 in Algiers the PLO recognized Israel. Israel later recognized the PLO but not Palestine. For that reason, the Conference of Madrid and the Oslo Accords were made in bad faith on Israel’s part. Before that, in between, and afterward, the settlements have continued, along with other attributes of Zionism.
The same has happened with governments of Likud-Labour Party members (of Socialist International, which also welcomed the party of Ben Ali of Tunisia), Kadima and others, and also with Bush, Clinton, Bush Jr. and Obama. With the PLO of 1988, after the elections of Arafat and Abbas or during the current period of decay. And also with Felipe Gonzalez, Aznar or Zapatero, Delors, Santer, Prodi, Barroso and others.
Of course, some of responsibility for this vacuum lies with the PLO and the Palestinian Authority’s own leaders, mainly those affiliated with Fatah, and also with the rest of the organizations that did not secure democratic structures representing the totality of the Palestinian people.
At a minimum, the Palestinian insistence to not continue negotiations on an unending, continually revised “Peace Process “, if colonization deepens with new settlements and extension of the Wall in the West Bank, helps to reveal the actual state of the situation…. more.. e-mail
Palestinians eke out living on dump recycling
AFP, Ma’an News Agency3/10/2011
YATTA, Hebron — Among the gentle slopes of cypress-covered hills near the West Bank city of Hebron is an anomaly, a stinking garbage dump that is workplace and home to dozens of men and boys.
The quiet that hangs over neighboring olive groves, in the far south of the West Bank, is broken here by the shouts of workers, many of them children, and the grinding of a bulldozer covering the picked-over trash with sand and dirt.
Overhead the sky is clear and the sun beats down, heating up the detritus of modern life — vegetable scraps, washing liquid bottles, old clothes, cans with dregs of soda in them.
The smell produced is overpowering at times, a sickly-sweet stench of rotting organic matter and chemical effluvia, which sticks to clothes and hair despite the light breezes that sweep over the hilltop.
At the far end of the hill, created entirely from layers of garbage ploughed over with sand, are makeshift residences — planks of wood with tarpaulin or rubbish bags strapped over them to provide shelter.
For many of those working here, these shacks act as their home during the week, a place they can sleep at night rather than going back to the village of Yatta. And it also means they are on hand to sort out any rubbish that comes in after dark.
It is unpleasant, tiring work, but is a rare source of income in the West Bank, where unemployment stands around 15.2 percent. more.. e-mail
Windmills which can only be moved by the wind of change
Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban, Middle East Monitor (MEMO)3/9/2011
Ernesto Che Guevara once said, “revolutions are made by adventurers and manipulated by opportunists”. I recalled this statement while following up Western analyses of Arab revolutions. I found that the thing which strikes Western strategic analysts is this sudden and dramatic change in the Arab mood, so they cannot wait for regimes to change. They want change now. After much shock and hesitation regarding revolutions in the Arab world against despotism, poverty, unemployment, corruption and the monopoly imposed by the elite circle around rulers over the returns of development, Western powers, led by the United States, have regained the initiative wetting their appetite for military intervention in countries which were ‘friendly’ and ‘stable’ and have become ‘unstable’, as described by Western media, concerned about the flow of cheap oil and acting to protect Israeli expansion. Now we hear threats of using warships and taking ‘tough’ stances in support of the forces of change in Arab societies. Political and intelligence circles have started to contact elements of change and study how demonstrations work.
The fear now over this historic uprising of the Arab nation is of a return of these hostile powers, known for their oppression of the Arab renaissance at the beginning of the 20th century. There is every cause to fear that they will, again, play their usual role in obstructing every positive change in the Arab world, distorting or sidetracking it. These same powers have kept silence regarding the ugliest Israeli oppression, for over sixty years, of Palestinians’ rights and freedom; while supporting, till now, the despotic and corrupt regimes which have become like rusty windmills that can only be moved by the winds of change.
These powers do not see an Arab people rising to build a free and democratic Arab society which enjoys the tremendous wealth of their land. They only see a geographical area delineated by the Sikes-Pico agreement…. more.. e-mail
Who benefits from EU-Israel academic cooperation?
Electronic Intifada: 10 Mar 2011 – Academic cooperation between Europe and Israel has been encouraged by governments on both sides. But who benefits and who loses? David Cronin comments for The Electronic Intifada.more
Dutch opposition boycotts parliamentary delegation to Israel
Electronic Intifada: 10 Mar 2011 – Dutch opposition parties boycotted a parliamentary delegation to the Middle East in February after parties supporting the right-wing government insisted on going ahead with the visit despite an Israeli government ban on allowing the lawmakers to visit the besieged Gaza Strip.more
Global unpopularity wearing down Israeli government
Electronic Intifada: 10 Mar 2011 – Benjamin Netanyahu’s advisers conceded last week that the Israeli prime minister is more downcast than they have ever seen him. The reason for his gloominess is to be found in Israel’s diplomatic and strategic standing, which some analysts suggest is at its lowest ebb in living memory. Jonathan Cook reports.more
Who Are you Calling a Feminist?
Palestine Monitor: 10 Mar 2011 – From a moral, political, practical standpoint we can’t allow ourselves to identify with women’s rights while other women are being oppressed elsewhere. This article was originally published on The Jerusalem Post. All photos by Lazar Simeonov and Elo B. In 1977, the UN General Assembly voted to adopt a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. Even back then, the UN recognized, rightfully, the link between the morals of peace and the rights of women, and the connection between the struggle for womens’ rights and the struggle for freedom and justice. If we were to adopt the UN decision to the reality here, we would reach the same conclusion. Feminism is not a women’s movement, it is a movement of morals. From a moral, political, and practical standpoint we cannot allow ourselves to identify with women’s rights while other women are being oppressed elsewhere. We…more
The J Street Scam
Palestine Chronicle: 10 Mar 2011 – By Philip Giraldi J Street is seductive. Americans have been bombarded with propaganda about Israel ever since the foundation of the country over sixty years ago. More recently, the United States has been designated by the media and the chattering classes as the protector of the Jewish state with little regard for those actions undertaken by Tel Aviv that impact negatively on US interests. This is because the Israel Lobby is the most powerful foreign lobby in the United States by far. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which has become the ugly side of the Lobby, has rightly drawn criticism for its bullying tactics and its alignment with extreme right-wing parties in Israel. Progressives and some conservatives in the United States who support Israel as a homeland for the world’s Jews have been eager to find a more respectable alternative lobby. That alternative is J Street. J Street,…more
Democracy: Made in Egypt
Palestine Chronicle: 10 Mar 2011 – By Sajida Tasneem As Egyptian people continue their struggle for democracy, one month on since Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down as President of Egypt on 11 February, 2011, the unleashing of a democratic process in Egypt has challenged just about every cultural and political stereotype prevalent in the West about Arab people and the Middle East. The “chaotic”, “irrational”, “weak”, “politically inept” people of the Orient deemed incapable of bringing “order” and considered “incompatible” with democracy have not only managed to topple a dictator and pave the way for crucial political and constitutional reforms, but more significantly they’ve managed to achieve this all by themselves, without the help of the charitable hand of the West, the “great saviour” of repressed peoples to thank for. Of course, no one should be surprised to hear that real democracy emerges through the power of demos; that it always manifests itself from…more
A Neoconservative ‘Shock and Awe’: The Rise of the Arabs
Palestine Chronicle: 10 Mar 2011 – By Ramzy Baroud A pervading sense of awe seems to be engulfing Arab societies everywhere. What is underway in the Arab world is greater than simply revolution in a political or economic sense– it is, in fact, shifting the very self-definition of what it means to be Arab, both individually and collectively. Hollywood has long caricatured and humiliated Arabs. American foreign policy in the Middle East has been aided by simplistic, degrading and at times racist depictions of Arabs in the mass media. A whole generation of pseudo-intellectuals have built their careers on the notion that they have a key understanding of Arabs and the seemingly predictable pattern of their behavior. Now we see Libya – a society that had nothing by way of a civil society and which was under a protracted stage of siege – literally making history. The collective strength displayed by Libyan society is awe-inspiring to…more
Egypt: Peering Into The Revolution’s Crystal Ball
Dissident Voice: 10 Mar 2011 – Egypt’s revolution is considered to be a startling new development, the result of the Internet age. But it is actually more like the traditional revolutionary scenario predicted by Karl Marx in the mid-19th century, a desperate protest against mass poverty resulting from rampant capitalism. Its association with the overthrow of authoritarian regimes in Eastern Europe and Russia in the 1990s, as epitomised by the adoption of the Serbian Otpor’s clenched fist masthead, is thus superficial. A more apt comparison in economic terms is with the Philippines, also a poor country with a large peasant population. The Filipino dictator, Ferdinand Marcos (1965-86), like Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, was a close ally of the US, and the Philippines hosted a large US base vital to its control of the south Pacific. Marcos justified his authoritarian rule and martial law to his US patrons as vital to keeping the Muslim and communist opposition…more
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The New Dark Age 