2 May, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Mashal Meets Egypt’s Security Chief
IMEMC – Tuesday May 03, 2011 – 02:32, Head of the Political Bureau of the Hamas movement, Khaled Mashal, met on Monday with Egypt’s Security Chief, Murad Muwafi, and a number of Egyptian security leaders.
Army Seales Nabi Saleh Village
IMEMC – Tuesday May 03, 2011 – 02:14, Israeli soldiers sealed late on Monday at night the entrances of Nabi Saleh village, west of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, after closing its two main gates and installing roadblocks on minor roads leading to the village.
On International Workers’ Day;
IMEMC – Tuesday May 03, 2011 – 01:36, Since 1891, 1 May has been celebrated as International Workers’ Day, a public holiday throughout the world commemorating and reaffirming workers’ struggle for labor rights and decent working conditions.
60-year old US peace activist hospitalized after Israeli attack on non-violent Mayday action
IMEMC – Monday May 02, 2011 – 10:15, Israeli forces attacked a non-violent protest near Qalqilia Sunday, injuring several international activists including a 60-year old woman who was hit in the head by shrapnel. Three international peace activists were arrested by Israeli forces and face deportation and probable 10-year bans from the country.
In Preparation To Sign Palestinian Unity Deal, Mashal Arrives In Cairo
IMEMC – Monday May 02, 2011 – 09:09, Accompanied by senior Hamas delegates in exile, head of the Political Bureau of the Hamas movement in Syria, Khaled Mashal, arrived on Sunday evening in Cairo in preparation to sign the Palestinian unity agreement, with Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.
Beit Ummar: Israel to demolish shops
5/2/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Two Beit Ummar residents received demolition warnings from Israel’s Civil Administration on MondayLocal officials said the orders stated that shops and sheds had been built too close to the main road in the town. Beit Ummar activist Muhammad Ayyad Awad told Ma’an that the warrants warned citizens….
Official: Israeli troops block villagers from crops
5/2/2011 – TUBAS (Ma’an) — Israeli troops blocked villagers from collecting their crops in the area of Al-Malih village on Monday, a local official said. The village council head, Aref Daraghmeh, told Ma’an that Israeli military vehicles barred villagers from accessing their land to collect their produce, and damaged a large quantity of crops….
Israel bans PFLP leader from Cairo meetings
5/2/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities banned Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader Abdul Rahim Malouh from attending reconciliation meetings in Cairo, officials said Monday. Malouh was appointed to head the PFLP delegation in talks ahead of the signing of a surprise agreement to reconcile Hamas and Fatah and reunite the Palestinian territories….
Gaza official: Detainee hunger strikes protest isolation cells
5/2/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails will stage a series of hunger strikes to protest against Israeli detention policies, the Gaza-based prisoners’ ministry said Monday. The strikes will focus on the practice of holding detainees in isolation cells, and will begin Tuesday at Israeli prisons Ishel, Ramon, Ashkelon and Nafha….
US asks for clarification over Israel revenue freeze
5/2/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — At the request of Palestinians, top US officials asked Israel’s finance minister to clarify his statement threatening to withhold tax revenues for the Palestinian Authority, the country’s daily Haaretz reported. The newspaper quoted angry Israeli officials who called the statement “spin,” and said “the money….
5 detained overnight by Israeli forces
5/2/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli force detained five Palestinians overnight, the military confirmed, including a 48-year-old man from the Asira village north of Nablus. A statement from Israel’s military spokesperson’s office said all five were “wanted” and were “transferred for security questioning.”Mu’ath Muhammad Mahmud Sawalha was taken….
Faction leaders leave for Cairo
5/2/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Delegates from Palestinian factions in Gaza left the coastal enclave Monday through the Rafah crossing en route to Cairo for meetings ahead of the signing of a reconciliation agreement. The delegates are expected in Cairo on Monday afternoon, where they will join Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader in….
Israeli conductor to lead ‘peace concert’ in Gaza
5/2/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Renowned Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim is to conduct an orchestra of European musicians in a “peace concert” in Gaza City on Tuesday, a United Nations agency said. The rare concert, which will take place at lunchtime at the Al-Mathaf Cultural House, was announced in a statement by the UN Special Coordinator for the….
MADA: Unity could improve freedom of expression
5/2/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Reconciliation between rival political parties Hamas and Fatah “brings hopes for improved freedom of expression in the Palestine territories,” the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms said Sunday. Center director Mousa Rimawi said media freedom had deteriorated under the national division, and welcomed the announcement of a reconciliation agreement, to…. Related: Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA)
Palestinians cut off from medical treatment
5/2/2011 – BEIT JALA, Bethlehem (IRIN) — Fuad Ahmed Jabo’s mother was 70 when she died of a heart attack in the Palestinian village of Tantour in Beit Jala, between Israeli-controlled Jerusalem and the Palestinian city of Bethlehem. They had called a Palestinian ambulance but delays at the checkpoint between Bethlehem and Tantour held it up…. Related: Source
South Africa supports Palestinian unity efforts
5/2/2011 – PRETORIA, South Africa (Ma’an) — The government of South Africa is looking at the pending Palestinian unity deal “in a very positive light,” a statement from the country’s Department of International Relations said Monday.”The Government and people of South Africa understand the importance of national reconciliation, unity and the restoration of….
Islamic Jihad accuses PA of detaining members
5/2/2011 – TULKAREM (Ma’an) — Leadership from the Islamic Jihad in Tulkarem are accusing Palestinian Authority security forces of detaining group members for political reasons, official sources told Ma’an. Members of the movement in the village of Attil have been held by police for three days, sources said, and have been prohibited from seeing….
Fatah, Hamas to mark Nakba in joint event
5/2/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — For the first time in five years, rival parties Fatah and Hamas will form a joint committee to prepare commemoration events for Nakba Memorial Day, which remembers the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in 1948. Nakba, translated into English as “catastrophe,” marks the creation of the State of Israel….
Gaza: Kerem Shalom crossing partly open
5/2/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities will allow limited quantities of goods into the besieged Gaza Strip through Kerem Shalom crossing on Monday, Palestinian officials said. The terminal is the sole operating border crossing following the March 2 closure of Karni, the bulk goods transportation terminal. The two other terminals were closed in 2008….
EU socialists call unity ‘brave step’ toward recognition
5/2/2011 – BRUSSELS, Belgium (Ma’an) — The Party of European Socialists and the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament issued a joint statement Sunday welcoming Palestinian unity as a “brave step” on the path to recognition of statehood by the EU. PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen voiced “support [for] the Palestinian reconciliation agreement and….
Hamas, PA weigh bin Laden killing
5/3/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh condemned the US assassination of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on Monday, while a Palestinian Authority spokesman said the death helped the cause of peace. Speaking to reporters in Gaza City, Haniyeh said the assassination was an extension of an American policy that “depends on….
Israel pauses to mark Holocaust Day
5/2/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Traffic ground to a halt across Israel and pedestrians stopped in their tracks for two minutes on Monday as the Jewish state paused to remember the horrors of the Holocaust. As the sirens began to wail, cars and buses pulled over to the side of the road and drivers got out to stand….
Christians in Holy Land celebrate John Paul II
5/2/2011 – BETHLEHEM(AFP) — Latin Christians marked Sunday’s beatification of Pope John Paul II with services in Bethlehem, with Palestinian premier Salam Fayyad evoking the late pontiff’s words “do not fear.” The current pope, Benedict XVI, bestowed the status of “blessed” on his predecessor the same day in front of a million people….
PCBS: Hotel occupancy up 44% since 1999
5/2/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The number of hotel rooms in Palestine rose in 2010, topping numbers from the year before by nine percent, a study released Monday by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said. The total number of guests in Palestinian hotels reached 577,000 during the year, an increase in 28 percent over 2009….
Obama: US has killed ‘Osama bin Laden’
5/2/2011 – ABBOTTABAD, Pakistan (AFP) — Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was shot dead deep inside Pakistan in a night-time helicopter raid by US covert forces, ending a decade-long manhunt for the mastermind of the September 11 attacks.” Justice has been done,” US President Barack Obama declared in a dramatic televised address, sparking raucous celebrations across the United….
Former US president Bush congratulates Obama
5/2/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Former US President George Bush late Sunday congratulated President Barack Obama on the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, leader of the Al-Qaeda organization.” This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11….
Middle East divided over bin Laden death
5/2/2011 – DUBAI, UAE (AFP) — Osama bin Laden’s ancestral homeland Yemen on Monday welcomed his death as “the beginning of the end of terror” while his acolytes called it a “catastrophe” and vowed to keep up jihad, or holy war.” We hope the killing of Bin Laden will be the beginning of the end of….
European Orchestra to Perform in Gaza Strip
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – Wall Street Journal – Daniel Barenboim, a renowned Israeli conductor and Palestinian rights activist, will bring an orchestra of European musicians for a performance in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. The concert, coordinated in secret with the United Nations until…
Egypt urges US to back Palestinian state declaration
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – BBC – The call comes after the reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah brokered last week by Egypt. Both Israel and the US have said they will not deal with Hamas, and have until now opposed a unilateral declaration of Palestinian…
Arab unrest: Iraq’s struggle a warning for protesters
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – Jim Muir, BBC- In January, when the flames of revolt were starting to spread through the Arab world, Iraqi leaders rather smugly assumed they would be immune, but they were wrong. “It can’t happen here – we’ve got democracy already,”…
Bin Laden Got Way Too Much In Exchange For His Life
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – It is no surprise that the assassination of Osama bin Laden has brought a wave of celebration in the United States. I, however, found my sentiments best expressed by a 9/11 survivor, Harry Waizer : “If this means there is one…
Israel withholds Palestinian cash transfer
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – Al Jazeera – Israel will hold up an $89 million cash transfer to the Palestinian Authority planned for this week because of a new unity deal between rival Palestinian factions. Israel threatened to impose sanctions last week in response to…
Hamas leadership says it will remain in Syria
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – Los Angeles Times -Hamas officials on Saturday denied reports that its top leaders are planning to move from Syria and relocate to Qatar or another Arab country. “The leadership will remain there,” said Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan. “As far as…
Fatah, Hamas to mark Nakba in joint event
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – Ma’an – For the first time in five years, rival parties Fatah and Hamas will form a joint committee to prepare commemoration events for Nakba Memorial Day, which remembers the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in 1948. Nakba, translated…
Egypt’s revolution brings new players to move Palestinian pieces into place
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – Jack Shenker , Guardian- After years of unsuccessful lobbying by the Egyptian authorities for a reconciliation of the warring Palestinian factions, the post-Mubarak government has achieved a breakthrough. As Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of the Hamas politburo, said on Thursday,…
Assad’s fall would create shockwaves from Tehran to Tel Aviv
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – Zaki Chehab, Guardian – As decades-old dictatorial regimes crumbled around him in January, Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, denied that revolution would spread to his country. Balhermep , the Ba’athist concept of “the ruling of the people”, would keep his country together….
The U.S. should welcome the Palestinian unity deal
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – No sooner had reports surfaced of an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation agreement between Fateh and Hamas than congressional calls for cutting U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority began. A statement by House Foreign Affairs Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen described PA president Mahmoud Abbas’s…
World Reacts to Osama Bin Laden Death
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – The world’s most wanted criminal is dead, but has anything really changed? New York Times – The words were not uncommon in angry Arab capitals a decade ago. Osama bin Laden was hero, sheikh, even leader to some. After his…
Hamas reaction to Bin Laden killing disgraceful
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – Ismael Haniya, the political leader of Hamas which pretends to be the voice of Palestinian Muslims living in the Gaza Strip, was quick to issue a statement denouncing the killing of master terrorist Osama Bin Laden. Rather than denounce Bin…
Killing Osama Bin Laden is the right thing. Period.
Palestine Note 2 May 2011 – I celebrate and congratulate the American Special Operation unit that killed Osama Bin Laden. I congratulate both America and the Muslim world for this great success. No man and no organization in recent memory, perhaps in the last 500 years…
Sudan opposition leader Turabi freed
AlJazeera 2 May 2011 – Popular Congress Party chief calls for “total political system change” hours after release.
Obama says world safer without Bin Laden
AlJazeera 2 May 2011 – US president to visit New York to honour 9/11 victims.
Bahrain arrests opposition politicians
AlJazeera 2 May 2011 – Two prominent members of the Al Wefaq party held after one of them criticised the government publically.
Switzerland says ‘illegal assets’ found
AlJazeera 2 May 2011 – Official claims millions of dollars linked to Gaddafi, Mubarak and Ben Ali frozen following blocking orders.
Syria offers ‘amnesty’ after mass arrests
AlJazeera 2 May 2011 – Hundreds held in Deraa and elsewhere as Damascus gives those “misled” two weeks to turn themselves in to authorities.
Iran wants Syria to probe missing journalist
AlJazeera 2 May 2011 – Foreign minister “demands” Syrian government look into case of missing Al Jazeera English journalist Dorothy Parvaz.
EU Parliamentary Delegation Visits Palestine
PNN – Hebron – PNN – 14 delegates from the European Parliament visited cities around Palestine on Wednesday and Thursday to experience first hand the situation and to report back to Brussels with their…
Haniyeh of Hamas calls Palestinian Groups to End Smear Campaigns and Mourns Bin Laden
PNN – Gaza — PNN — On Monday, the Prime Minister of the Gaza-Hamas government, Isma’el Haniyeh, called upon all Palestinian groups to end smear campaigns in media and work towards creating an atmosphere…
MADA: Palestinian Reconciliation Improve Freedom of Expression
PNN – Ramallah — PNN – The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) issued a press statement on Sunday welcoming the Palestinian reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas . Mousa Rimawi, Director of MADA,…
Palestinian Factions Representatives Travel to Cairo Today
PNN – Cairo — PNN — Representatives of all Palestinian factions started on Monday to arrive in Cairo in preparation to sign the Palestinian Reconciliation deal announced last week. Sources announced that the Hamas…
Building Castles of Sand
PNN – By: Mitri I. Musleh – The Fatah and Hamas unity agreement deal comes at the heel of an uprising movement sweeping the Middle East. The message of the people is clear and…
Palestinian Prisoners in Nafha Military Detention Center Announce Hunger-Strike
PNN – Ramallah — PNN — Palestinian political prisoners held in Nafha Israeli military detention center in northern West Bank announced on Monday a one day hunger-strike. According to the Prisoners Study Center in…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
On International Workers’ Day PCHR denounces Israel’s systematic violation of Palestinians’ human right to work
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Monday, 02 May 2011
PCHR Condemns Continued Restrictions Imposed on the Right to Peaceful Assembly by the Palestinian Government in Gaza; Peaceful Assembly of Workers on International Workers’ Day Banned
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Monday, 02 May 2011
Alternative Information Center
Palestinian Workers Movement at the AICafe
Alternative Information Center – Saturday evening, 30 April, the AICaf?® in Beit Sahour hosted a discussion about the Palestinian workers movements and the rights in Palestine and Israel to commemorate the First of May, the International Workers Day.
Palestinians Workers Attacked on International Workers Day
Alternative Information Center – In the early morning hours of May 1st, International Workers Day, several Palestinians workers, instead of celebrating the occasion, were taken to the hospital after the Israeli soldiers and their dogs attacked them.
US Immigration separates Palestinian mother from her 4 children
2 May 2011 – London, (Pal Telegraph) – She lived 20 years in USA: US Immigration separates Palestinian mother from her 4 children — This is a story that embodies the Palestinian plight of the refugees displaced worldwide. Millions of Palestinians are scattered across the world. Huge numbers of them are denied their basic human rights of movement or family unification.
Nafha prisoners go on hunger strike
2 May 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Palestinian prisoners in Israeli Nafha jail announced today a hunger strike protesting Israeli policy of humiliation and sudden inspection as well as condemning the miserable conditions which they are exposed to during their detention.
Egypt to permanently open Rafah crossing
2 May 2011 – Gaza Strip, (Pal Telegraph)- Egypt decided today to open Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza after three days of closure, indicating to open the crossing permanently in both directions as part of its plan to alleviate the Israeli blockade on residents of Gaza strip.
Five Palestinians detained by Israeli army in WB
2 May 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)- Israeli occupation forces detained Monday four Palestinian citizens including a teenager from Hawasan village in the west of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank.
Israel bulldozes agricultural lands in Qalqilya
2 May 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)- Israeli bulldozers invaded yesterday the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya razing agricultural lands belonging to Palestinian citizens in order to expand the construction of the Apartheid Wall .
GCC safe from al Qa’eda retribution over bin Laden, ministers say
The National 1 May 2011 – UAE undersecretary, Kuwaiti official say bin Laden’s death will not halt global terrorism.
World leaders warn of revenge attack following bin Laden hit
Ha’aretz –
Akiva Eldar / Bin Laden’s death has granted Obama but a brief moment of grace
Ha’aretz – Obama’s overnight transformation into an American hero may spell bad news for Netanyahu, who is due to give a speech in Washington in three weeks.
Ari Shavit / Obama’s democratic America is winning
Ha’aretz – Most important news of past few years is the not-news about the concealed way in which the United States is keeping world peace, which is beginning to be seen.
Mother of Israeli killed on 9/11: I don’t want comfort, I want my son
Ha’aretz – Yehudit Levinhar, whose son was killed in the attack on the World Trade Center, expresses remorse that bin Laden wasn’t captured before he helped carry out attack on Twin Towers.
U.S. had no choice but to kill bin Laden, says U.S. defense official
Ha’aretz – Top counter-terrorism adviser: We would have taken him alive if possible; U.S. official: Bin Laden ‘participated’ in a firefight between the U.S. commandos and residents hiding in the fortified mansion.
Pakistan and U.S. coordinated bin Laden assassination, says envoy
Ha’aretz – U.S. officials say they did not tell Pakistan until it was over, but Islamabad’s high commissioner to Britain says operation was ‘secretly collaborated’ by both Pakistani and U.S. intelligence agencies.
Is Israel the best place for Jews to live?
Ha’aretz – President of the European Jewish Congress, Russian Jewish tycoon Moshe Kantor, says it is the Jews’ destiny to live everywhere.
Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim to perform with orchestra in Gaza
Ha’aretz – European musicians will enter Gaza with Barenboim through Egypt-Gaza border crossing after concert coordinated in secret with the UN, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Obama and his national security team watched bin Laden raid in real time
Ha’aretz – From halfway around the world, Obama and his national security team monitored the strike on bin Laden’s compound in real time, watching and listening to the firefight that killed the terrorist leader.
UN chief hails Osama bin Laden’s death as ‘watershed’ in fight against terror
Ha’aretz – Governments and leaders praised the killing of bin Laden as a dramatic success in the war against al-Qaida that would make the world a safer place, but in some parts of the globe worried residents were bracing for revenge.
U.S. officials: DNA evidence proves Osama bin Laden is dead
Ha’aretz – The initial DNA results show a ‘very confident match’ to bin Laden, giving 99.9 percent proof that it was bin Laden killed in the raid in Pakistan, says officials in Obama administration.
Africa Israel USA sells floors in Times Sq. Building for $160m
Ha’aretz – Other Israeli real estate companies have been going in an opposite direction – seeking opportunities in the bruised U.S. real estate market.
Putting a good face forward
Ha’aretz – Apartment owners are more likely than investors who rent properties out to put money into upgrading their buildings’ facades and gardens
Capturing Eichmann – on video
Ha’aretz – American Milton Fruchtman looks back 50 years to his politically – and technically – challenging job as director of the videotaping of the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem.
Nation stands in silence to honor the martyred 6 million
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Barak at Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony: “The IDF promises ‘never again.’ The defense forces are the eternal answer to the Holocaust.”
Judge slams mishandling of asylum request by Eritrean
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Calls authorities’ decision to reject Heilo Tigset “factually baseless and arbitrary, with a predetermined aim.”
White House: Bin Laden used wife as human shield
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – US forces were prepared to take al-Qaida leader alive, but believed he would resist capture; PM calls assassination “a victory for justice and freedom”; US warns Islamists will try to carry out retaliatory strikes.
Bin Laden assassination vindicates targeted killings
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – The targeted killing of Osama is being applauded all over the world, and rightly so. But what happened to the voices of opposition, primarily from European states, who in the past have denigrated Israel for the far more regulated targeted killings of Hamas terrorists?
PM heads to Paris, UK to discuss Palestinian state, Hamas
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Netanyahu embarks on trip to sway European states to say “no” to Palestinian statehood declaration, unity gov’t including Hamas.
Israeli 9/11 victim’s brother: No closure in bin Laden hit
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Relatives, loved ones of Israelis killed in al Qaida terror attacks talk about the meaning top terrorist’s death, lives cut short.
Haniyeh condemns killing of ‘warrior’ bin Laden
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Hamas PM says killing comes in context of US policy of killing, repression; Hamas official: Assassination is a crime, state terror.
Hamas denounces killing of a ‘Muslim warrior’
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Haniyeh says death comes in context of US policy of killing, repression; Hamas official: Assassination is a crime, state terror.
Right worried Israel will pay price for bin Laden
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – MK Eldad: No doubt Obama is greater threat to Israel than Osama was; Kara suggests marking every Yom Hashoah by killing an int’l terrorist.
Israel Police raises alert level following bin Laden death
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Defense establishment says Israel not altering any travel advisories, was already on alert due to fears of Hezbollah attack.
While US warns travelers, Israel already on high alert
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Following bin Laden death, defense establishment says Israel was previously on alert due to fears of Hezbollah attack.
Liveblogging the Osama raid on Twitter, unwittingly
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Sohaib Athar reported a loud bang rattled his windows in the town of Abbottabad, adding he hoped it wasn’t “the start of something nasty.”
In Islamic world, joy, grief eclipsed by official silence
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – US Muslims welcome demise of Osama bin Laden, while Iran raps ‘Zionist terror’ and Arab regimes remain mum.
New footage shows where bin Laden was gunned down
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – ABC network releases photos, video showing the house where the al Qaida leader was assassinated by US special forces.
Thousands take part in March of Living at Auschwitz
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – President Peres, former chief Rabbi, Conference of Presidents head, thousands of participants gather at concentration camp in Poland.
US, Israel, Baghdad deny report of IAF jets in Iraq
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Iranian report says Israeli jets massing at US air base in Iraq for strike on Iranian nuclear program; Pentagon calls the report “ridiculous.”
Clinton: US will ‘take the fight’ to Taliban post-bin Laden
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – US secretary of state says “we must take this opportunity to redouble our efforts” fighting terror; DNA test shows 100% match to bin Laden’s family.
PM: ‘March of the Living’ reminds us evil doesn’t triumph
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Israel observes 2 minute silence to honor Shoah victims; PM, Peres, IDF chief attend Yad Vashem wreath ceremony; Gantz visits survivors.
Palestinian passports for Israelis and other silliness
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Respected names in Israeli society, including Oz and Bauer, joined the throngs outside Tel Aviv’s Independence Hall to sign a new declaration of independence that includes a Palestinian state. What next? Will they receive Palestinian passports directly from President Abbas, as has happened to one Israeli activist in Paris?
Hamas condemns killing of ‘holy warrior’ bin Laden
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Gaza leadership condemns killing of al Qaida head and “shedding of Muslim blood”; in different tone, PA says death will promote peace.
Katsav appeals conviction, sentence to Supreme Court
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Defense team asks Supreme Court to postpone ex-president’s sentence until end of proceedings.
Arab revolts turned bin Laden into bloody footnote
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Analysis: Bin Laden seems irrelevant to Arabs focused on uprisings; Arab sense of injustice tapped by al Qaida lingers on.
Bin Laden leaves behind network linked by Internet
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Analysis: Raid against al Qaida leader is vital psychological milestone, but the war will continue for years to come.
PA hails bin Laden death, Hamas calls it ‘assassination’
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – PA spokesperson Ghassan Khatib releases statement welcoming death of al Qaida leader; Hamas refers to killing as “assassination” of a “holy warrior.”
Libya rebels: Gaddafi should face bin Laden’s fate
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Following death of al Qaida leader, Libya protesters express support; “We want the Americans to do the same to Gaddafi,” rebel spokesman says.
The Jewish Palate: Jews of corfu
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Chef Dennis Wasko takes a closer look at the history and culinary tradition of the tiny Jewish Community of Corfu.
Al Qaida’s affiliate groups
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was killed on Sunday. Here are some details on Al Qaida’s main affiliate groups in the Arabian peninsula, Iraq and North Africa.
Analysis: Trailing US enemy #1
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Fascinating reports come to light of how, after a decade, the US finally managed to trace bin Laden to a compound outside Islamabad.
Israel observes 2 minute silence to honor Shoah victims
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Peres attends Yad Vashem wreath ceremony; Gantz visits survivors: Each Jew should see himself as if he or she survived the Holocaust.
Israel observes minute’s silence to honor Shoah victims
Jeruslalem Post 2 May 2011 – Sirens wail throughout country as Israelis remember 6 million Jews that perished in the Holocaust as a result of Nazi persecution.
Our freedom is now closer | Azzam Tamimi
The Guardian 2 May 2011 – The popular revolutions across the Arab world have given Palestinians a new sense of hope When, at the start of this year, Palestinians around the world marked the anniversary of the 2008-09 Israeli war on Gaza ,…
Flagged for Removal: Online Censorship on the Rise
IPS The shutdown was surprisingly swift and almost total. In the midst of a popular revolution — one that was blogged, YouTubed, and Twittered in minute-by-minute cyber blasts — the Egyptian regime tightened its Internet spigot in late January, choking the free flow of information down to a trickle.
Syria’s Crackdown Undermines Claim for Seat on Human Rights Council
IPS When the General Assembly meets on May 20 to elect 15 new members for the Human Rights Council (HRC), the four candidates from the Asian Group – India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Syria – were until now considered certain winners for one primary reason: they remain uncontested on a “clean…
Israel Lashes Out at Palestinian Reconciliation
IPS Israel has lashed out at the recent ground-breaking deal in Cairo, which will see unification of the two main Palestinian political factions after four years of bitter infighting, by threatening economic sanctions against the Palestinians.
EGYPT: Press Freedom Comes With a few Red Lines
IPS The collapse of autocratic regimes in Tunisia and Egypt has broken the state’s stranglehold on the local press, but journalists and bloggers must still be careful what they say.
‘Good News’ on Holocaust Anniversary
IPS Israelis woke up in the morning of Holocaust Remembrance Day, switched on their radio, and heard unexpected “good news”.
[uruknet.info] Libyan rebels ask US to kill Gaddafi
Uruknet May 2, 2011 – Libya’s rebels yesterday welcomed the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and said it would be a great “gift” if the United States now killed Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi. “A big part of international terrorism has now ended” with bin Laden’s death at the hands of US special forces, said Ahmed Omar…
[uruknet.info] 11 YEARS LATER ~~ MOHAMMED AL-DURA’S FATHER STILL MAKING HEADLINE NEWS
Uruknet May 2, 2011 – A French court on Friday ruled against Israeli orthopedic surgeon David Yehuda, who was sued for slander by Jamal al-Dura, the father of Mohammed al-Dura, the slain 12-year-old Palestinian boy who became a powerful symbol of the second intifada. Al-Dura had sued Yehuda for libel after the doctor, who operated on him in 1994,…
[uruknet.info] Libya: The Bizarro War We’re killing civilians in order to save them
Uruknet May 2, 2011 – Flying unopposed over Libyan airspace, NATO’s fighter planes bombed the residence of the Gadhafi family, killing his youngest son and three grandchildren. What a glorious victory for the defenders of innocent civilians! The NATO-crats, of course, deny targeting either Gadhafi or his family members: those much-touted high-tech weapons, with their “precision” targeting capabilities, seem…
[uruknet.info] Please See Your Doctor Should Viagra Lead to Rape
Uruknet May 2 , 2011 – It has been evident for years that the American MSM has been sliding into the dark role of government policy facilitator, but at least until recently there was something of a muddled attempt to feign credibility. That pretense is now completely gone. Hell, forget journalistic credibility; we’ve entered an era of storytelling freakery that…
[uruknet.info] Muammar Gaddafi’s son buried in Tripoli
Uruknet May 2, 2011 – The funeral of the youngest son of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi has taken place in the capital, Tripoli. Libya says Saif al-Arab, 29, and three of Col Gaddafi’s grandchildren died on Saturday when Nato missiles hit his villa in the leader’s compound. His funeral was attended by several thousand people as Nato planes…
[uruknet.info] Fukushima radiation levels rise to highest levels yet
Uruknet May 2, 2011 – As the twenty-fifth anniversary of Chernobyl passes, Fukushima looks set to overtake it as the world’s worst nuclear disaster. Two weeks ago Fukushima was raised from a level 5 disaster to a level 7 like Chernobyl. But nearly two months after the crisis began, Fukushima is still emitting radioactivity, while Chernobyl’s emissions had been…
[uruknet.info] Bassem Tamimi: “Our destiny is to resist”
Uruknet May 2, 2011 – When I met Bassem Tamimi at his home in the occupied West Bank village of Nabi Saleh this January, his eyes were bloodshot and sunken, signs of the innumerable sleepless nights he had spent waiting for Israeli soldiers to take him to prison. As soon as two children were seized from the village in…
[uruknet.info] Fatah, Hamas to mark Nakba in joint event
Uruknet May 2, 2011 – For the first time in five years, rival parties Fatah and Hamas will form a joint committee to prepare commemoration events for Nakba Memorial Day, which remembers the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in 1948. Nakba, translated into English as “catastrophe,” marks the creation of the State of Israel, which saw an estimated…
[uruknet.info] Exit the Excuse … But Elites Insist Their Wars Must Go On
Uruknet May 2, 2011 – The excuse for the War on Terror is gone; will the War on Terror now come to an end? The bipartisan high and mighty rushed to insist that it most certainly will not. Obama, Bush, Kerry, McCain, Boehner, Schumer — all the great and good were quick to say that “the fight is not…
[uruknet.info] Oppressing West Bank Palestinian Children
Uruknet May 2, 2011 – … Under military occupation, Palestinian children are treated like adults. Each year, about 700 are arrested, brutally interrogated, and prosecuted in military courts, denying them justice. Since 2000 alone, over 7,000 have been brutalized. On January 31, 2011, 222 Palestinian children were imprisoned, 34 aged 12 – 15. Some at times are 10 or younger….
[uruknet.info] Guantanamo Docs Fail to Document Torture Independent scrutiny needed
Uruknet May 2, 2011 – As one of very few health professionals who has viewed Guantanamo detainee health files as a consultant to defense and habeas attorneys, I was not at all surprised by the findings of a new paper in PLOS Medicine by Vincent Iacopino and Stephen N. Xenakis: Neglect of Medical Evidence of Torture in Guant?°namo Bay:…
[uruknet.info] Facebook Page Asks: Is Osama Bin Laden Really Dead?
Uruknet May 2, 2011 – Some people are asking for proof that Osama Bin Laden is really dead. A Facebook page called “Osama Bin Laden Dead? Buried at sea, and we never saw the body? Hmm” asks the question many people are asking: Where’s the proof? Several posters on the site are voicing their doubts that Bin Laden was…
[uruknet.info] Osama bin Laden corpse photo is fake
Uruknet May 2, 2011 – An image apparently showing a dead Osama bin Laden broadcast on Pakistani television and picked up by British newspaper websites is a fake. The bloodied image of a man with matted hair and a blank, half-opened eye has been circulating on the internet for the past two years. It was used on the front…
[uruknet.info] Military Resistance 9E 1: Long time, no…
Uruknet May 1, 2011 – May Day was called Emancipation Day in 1886 when 340,000 went on strike (though itwas Saturday it was a regular workday) in Chicago for the 8-hour day.May 1, 1890: May Day labor demonstrations spread to thirteen other countries; 30,000 marched in Chicago as the newly prominent American Federation of Labor threw itsweight behind the…
[uruknet.info] Rafah Crossing to Open: Is Egypt Changing the Rules?
Uruknet May 1, 2011 – Egypt’s declared intention to open the crossing into Gaza reflects a radical change from the policy of Hosni Mubarak and promises to provide a lifeline to the moribund Gazan economy that has been deliberately targeted by Israeli policies which are illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention. In February IRIN reported that the World Bank…
[uruknet.info] 3arabawy on “non-violence” in the Egyptian unrest
Uruknet May 1, 2011 – I meant to write something about this months ago. But the abused ghost of Gandhi never rests in the dreams of Western liberals, does he? Comrade Taylor wrote a couple months ago that the repressed and revolting “Arab and Muslim peoples, just like Europeans and others with whom we identify, demand freedom and are…
[uruknet.info] The Joker is Wild: Imperial Party Masks Murder Abroad
Uruknet May 1, 2011 – It was one of those horrific juxtapositions that an imperial state breeds in abundance: the emperor joking at a luxurious banquet with fawning courtiers, while his agents are killing innocent children on a distant frontier. Such was the scene this weekend, as President Barack Obama enjoyed his star turn at the White House Correspondents…
[uruknet.info] Refugees recount brutal crackdown in western Syria
Uruknet May 1, 2011 – Hundreds of residents of Tel Kalakh in western Syria have escaped an intensifying siege by the Syrian army by slipping across the nearby border with Lebanon. “They are terrorizing the town,” says Ammar, a 33-year-old taxi driver. “The people are living in fear there.” The stories told by the frightened refugees of Tel Kalakh…
[uruknet.info] American woman hospitalized with head injury and three international activists arrested in West Bank protest
Uruknet May 1, 2011 – An American 60 year-old women was evacuated to an Israeli hospital this afternoon, after Israeli soldiers caused her a serious head injury as they demolished a protest tent in the West Bank village of Izbet al-Tabib near Qalqilya. A Swede and two British activists were arrested during the protest. Israeli soldiers, accompanied by bulldozers…
[uruknet.info] How to Read WikiLeaks’ Guant?°namo Files
Uruknet May 1, 2011 – A week after WikiLeaks began releasing classified military files – known as Detainee Assessment Briefs (DABs) – relating to the majority of the 779 prisoners held at Guant?°namo since the prison opened in January 2002, I am reassured that the prison, its remaining inhabitants and its back story have reemerged so forcefully into the…
[uruknet.info] Israel prevents Abbas’ envoy from entering Gaza 3 days before signing of Palestinian reconciliation agreement
Uruknet May 1, 2011 – Abbas’s personal envoy for national reconciliation has been prevented from entering Gaza strip from Ramallah Sunday morning through the Erez crossing. This is, in fact, a second for Mohamed Abou Tir, Abbas’s envoy. As an alternative, Abou Tir is considering entering through the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian Gaza border. Abou Tir’s visit was…
[uruknet.info] A May Day Message of Solidarity to Imprisoned Iranian Workers
Uruknet May 1, 2011 – Dear friends, This year’s International Workers’ Day is approaching at a time when you are in prison. We know that among you there are many like Farzad Kamangar who sacrificed his life to defend the human dignity of the humble masses that are forced to sell their labour for meagre wages. And there are…
[uruknet.info] Susan Rice’s Viagra Hoax: The New Incubator Babies
Uruknet May 1, 2011 – On Thursday, US ambassador Susan Rice announced that Libyan government troops were being issued Viagra and told to rape as a terror weapon. She made the comment as part of a debate with another envoy to highlight that “the coalition is confronting an adversary doing reprehensible things.” Several diplomats said Rice provided no evidence…
[uruknet.info] Israeli soldiers injure Palestinian worker
Uruknet May 1, 2011 – Israeli soldiers on Sunday assaulted two Palestinian workers trying to enter Jerusalem near the Zayem checkpoint, at the eastern entrance to Jerusalem. Mahmoud Abu Sarhan, 25, said he lost consciousness and fell from a cliff after an Israeli forces officer threw a rock at his head. The Bethlehem resident sustained serious head injuries in…
[uruknet.info] Regional armies on alert as Libya crisis deepens
Uruknet May 1, 2011 – Army chiefs from Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Algeria are on alert as the crisis in nearby Libya deteriorates, placing the entire region at risk, a military source said on Saturday. Speaking after a meeting Friday between the four army heads, a Malian officer who attended said: “The situation in Libya is of great concern….
[uruknet.info] Israel tells Egypt to keep Gaza crossing closed: officials
Uruknet May 1, 2011 — Israeli defense officials said that Israel could not countenance Egypt’s announced plan to open the Rafah crossing with Gaza to two-way traffic, local media reported Sunday. “We cannot allow the crossing to be left wide open to ‘terror operatives’,” a defense echelon official told Ynet news, adding that “we have passed the message on”…
Bin Laden a ‘black mark’ in Islam’s history, says Hariri
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Politicians and religious figures responded Monday to the news of Osama bin Laden’s death with reactions varying from reverence to revulsion for a figure who became the world’s most wanted man.
LF continue mulling bylaw amendments
Daily Star 2 May 2011 The Lebanese Forces will continue discussions of the party’s draft bylaws Friday and Saturday, after four sessions of the LF congress over the weekend saw the adoption of 119 out of 303 articles, many of which…
U.S. Embassy rejects Mrad comments on conspiracy in the Middle East
Daily Star 2 May 2011 The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon denied Monday statements made by former Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdel-Rahim Mrad that there is a [U.S.] conspiracy against the Middle East and Syria’s Christians.
Aoun blames Cabinet delay on foreign interference
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun blamed Monday what he termed foreign interference for the delay in the formation of a new Cabinet.
Syria remains a crucial player in regional politics
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Although the unprecedented movement of public protests is posing a tough challenge to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Syria remains a geopolitical must in the Middle East, according to an ambassador of an influential…
Remove illegal buildings in 48 hours, ISF warns
Daily Star 2 May 2011 South Lebanon’s top security and political officials granted violators 48 hours to dismantle illegal buildings Monday, warning residents that security forces will intervene if they don’t take action themselves, said a statement released following a meeting…
Sidon’s Bishop Ghazal praised by mourners as he is laid to rest
Daily Star 2 May 2011 The Catholic bishop of Sidon, Salim Ghazal, was laid to rest over the weekend at the Savior Monastery in the town of Joun, east of Sidon.
Activists protest against demolition of Beirut buildings
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Protests over the demolitions of classified buildings took place in Mar Mikhael Sunday with activists picketing the construction site of the former Cinema Vendome, destined to become a 19-floor apartment complex.
Labor Day losing significance as workers abandon activism
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Once known as a time that united labor groups in a show of strength, with thousands of workers marching in major cities, May 1 has gradually become little more than a welcome day of vacation for…
Lebanon tops the Arab world in levels of press freedom
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Lebanon has topped the Arab world in terms of press freedom, according to the Freedom House, Freedom of the Press 2011 report, released Monday.
Lebanese reactions to bin Laden’s death vary
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Lebanese reactions to the killing of Osama Bin Laden ranged from apathy to regret, with many questioning the validity of U.S. claims that the Al-Qaeda leader was dead.
Migrant workers take to Beirut streets to decry poor treatment
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Some 200 protesters marched in Beirut over the weekend to demand rights for foreign migrant workers.
Nine hurt in clashes during student demonstration in Algiers
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Clashes erupted in Algeria Monday between security forces and hundreds of students demanding political change, leaving at least nine people injured, including three policemen, AFP journalists saw.
GCC says Iran’s claims that it owns Gulf are aggressive
Daily Star 2 May 2011 The Gulf Cooperation Council chief Monday slammed as aggressive a statement by a top Iranian military official who has said the Persian Gulf belonged to the Islamic Republic.
Syrian authorities give protesters 15-day surrender ultimatum
Daily Star 2 May 2011 The Syrian authorities set a deadline Monday of 15 days for people who had committed unlawful acts to surrender, as 180 people were rounded up in the latest wave of arrests.
Turkish police raid opposition-held municipalities, detain 40
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Police Monday raided opposition-held local administrations in western Turkey and detained some 40 people as part of a probe over alleged corruption, officials and media reports said.
Supporters mourn Gadhafi’s son as NATO hits Misrata outskirts
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Crowds chanting support for Moammar Gadhafi gathered in Tripoli Monday for the funeral of his son, killed in a NATO airstrike that has raised questions about the West’s role in the uprising against the Libyan leader.
Differences emerge before Palestinian deal signed
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Serious disagreements over control of security forces and other key issues emerged in statements Monday by officials of the rival Palestinian Fatah and Hamas movements, two days before they were due to sign an accord to…
Yemen protesters urged not to raise bin Laden banners
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Yemeni activists urged street protesters Monday not to raise banners of Osama bin Laden to avoid triggering a harsher crackdown on demonstrations seeking democratic change in the Al-Qaeda leader’s ancestral homeland.
Al-Qaeda’s No. 2 Zawahri likely to succeed bin Laden
Daily Star 2 May 2011 For years, Osama bin Laden’s charisma kept Al-Qaeda’s ranks filled with zealous recruits.
Al-Qaeda leader’s killing prompts Arab anger, relief
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Some Arabs mourned him as a holy warrior and martyr, while others saw him as a pillar of evil whose deadly attacks on the United States unleashed a backlash against Muslims across the world.
Hariri: Bin Laden got what he deserved
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Hariri also described bin Laden as an enemy to the Arab world and Islam, saying: The harm inflicted by Osama bin Laden to the image of Islam and Arab causes is equal to the harm inflicted…
Some Lebanese Muslim preachers hail bin Laden for U.S. attack
Daily Star 2 May 2011 Muslim preacher Omar Bakri said he believed bin Laden left a generation of Mujahideen.
Saudi Arabia welcomes bin Laden death
Daily Star 2 May 2011 The Saudi Press Agency carried an official statement Monday expressing hope that bin Laden’s death would be a step that supports the international efforts against terrorism.
Abbas welcomes bin Laden death, Hamas deplores
Daily Star 2 May 2011 The killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces was welcomed on Monday by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority while its prospective power-sharing partner, Islamist Hamas, deplored his death.
Six policemen injured over illegal housing in south Lebanon
Daily Star 2 May 2011 A security source said the policemen, all members of the Internal Security Forces, were injured before midday when residents of Teir Felsay pelted their patrol with stones.
Iraq delighted to see end of bin Laden: minister
Daily Star 2 May 2011 We, like many people in the world, are delighted to see an end to his mentality and his devious ideology, Iraq’s foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said Monday.
Lebanese voice satisfaction, skepticism over bin Laden’s death
Daily Star 2 May 2011 The Daily Star online polled people on the streets on their reaction to the death of Osama bin Laden.
World on alert after U.S. kills bin Laden
Daily Star 2 May 2011 World leaders hailed bin Laden’s death but the euphoria was tempered by fears of retaliation and warnings of renewed vigilance against attacks.
Syria gives protesters surrender ultimatum
Daily Star 1 May 2011 The ultimatum came as activists planned fresh anti-government demonstrations following the deaths of dozens of people in weekend protests.
US: DNA results match Osama bin Laden
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Game over: A DNA test on Osama bin Laden’s body showed a “virtually 100%” match against the arch-terrorist’s relatives, a US intelligence official said Monday following … ….
White House watched bin Laden execution
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Rare behind-the-scenes images released by the US Monday showed top Administration officials monitoring Bin Laden’s assassination live from the White House Situation … ….
Jerusalem Arabs honor bin Laden
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Arab support for terror chief: Dozens of Arab residents held a rally in support of assassinated al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in east Jerusalem’s Silwan neighborhood … ….
Expert: Bin Laden’s death to prompt terror waves
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Global terror sustains harsh blow, but not a grave one: Israeli experts told Ynet Monday that while Osama bin Laden’s assassination carries symbolic significance, it will … ….
Israel fears bin Laden revenge attacks
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – High alert in Israel: Security officials are preparing for the possibility that radical Islamists will attempt to strike American targets and interests in Israel to … ….
Bin Laden grandson learns of killing through text
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Osama bin Laden’s British step-grandson said Monday he found out about the terror chief’s death through a text message which read: “Your grandad is dead. Watch the … ….
US court case: Is Jerusalem part of Israel?
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal over whether an American born in Jerusalem can have Israel listed as his birthplace on his passport even though US policy … ….
Families of Israeli 9/11 victims: Too little, too late
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Families of Israelis killed in 2001 attacks say they are not comforted by bin….
Hamas mourns bin Laden’s death
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Gaza government condemns US slaying of ‘Arab holy warrior’, asks ‘God to offer….
Scant participation at Holon March of Living
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Few survivors take part in event commemorating Jewish communities ravaged by….
Katsav appeals rape conviction
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Former president asks to delay seven-year prison sentence, says ‘weighty….
Barak: IDF will guarantee never again
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Israel remembers victims of Holocaust with moment of silence, reading aloud of….
Obama: Al-Qaeda head bin Laden dead
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Mastermind of Sept. 11, 2001 attacks killed by US-led team after manhunt that….
US cheers bin Laden’s death
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Hundreds flock to Ground Zero after Obama declares terrorist dead. ‘Great day to….
‘Mashaal visited Turkey at Israel’s behest’
YNet News, 2 May 2011 – Former deputy PM says Turkey, Israel agreed to exchange blows publicly to serve….
Fayyad says Israeli withholding of money exacerbate financial difficulty
WAFA
American Women Hospitalized with Head Injury
WAFA
Abbas Briefs Emir of Qatar on Latest Developments
WAFA
PLO Condemns Israeli Statements on Withholding Money
WAFA
Israeli Authorities Prevent Call for Prayer in Hebron Mosque
WAFA
Rise in Number of Guests in Palestinian Hotels in 2010, PCBS
WAFA
Nafha Prisoners Go on Hunger Strike
WAFA
Israel Arrests 4 from Bethlehem
WAFA
PCBS: Deficit in Current Account over $736 million in 2009
WAFA
Newspapers Review: Israel’s Withholding of PA Money Main Topic of Dailies
WAFA
Fatah and Hamas; Reconciliation or Escape Forward
Intifada-Palestine: 2 May 2011 – Chief Fatah negotiator for the reconciliation talks Azzam al-Ahmed, left, sits next to Hamas leaders Moussa Abu Marzoug, centre, and Mahmoud Al Zahar, right, during a news conference in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, April 27, 2011. (AP / Khalil Hamra) “With both organizations… more
PANIC FROM THE HOUSES OF CONGRESS AND AIPAC?
Intifada-Palestine: 2 May 2011 – Netanyahu, the conferees were told, wants Congress to flex its muscle with the White House and deliver a strong message to President Obama that his political future is tied to Israel’s. Franklin Lamb Beirut On April 13, 2011, more than a… more
THE ACCUSATION OF ANTI-SEMITISM HAS LONG PASSED ITS SELL-BY DATE: ANTHONY LAWSON
Intifada-Palestine: 1 May 2011 – Anthony Lawson Interview by: Kourosh Ziabari Without any redundant exaggeration, Anthony Lawson is an inimitable, conscientious and unique man. What he does can be described as professional and committed video-journalism. Lawson is a retired international-prize-winning commercials director, cameraman, ad agency creative… more
Israel halts tax funds to Palestinians
LA Times 1 May 2011 – Israel’s decision to hold about $89 million in tax revenue comes after news of a proposed unity government between Fatah and rival Palestinian faction Hamas. Palestinian leaders condemn the move as an act of ‘piracy’ and ‘war.’ Israel said Sunday that it was delaying the…
Hamas Condemns the Killing of Bin Laden
New York Times 2 May 2011 – The leader of the Hamas government condemned on Monday the American operation that killed Osama Bin Laden, calling it a “continuation of the United States policy of destruction.”
In Arab World, Bin Laden’s Confused Legacy
New York Times 2 May 2011 – A man who once vowed to liberate the Arab world was reduced to a footnote in the revolutions and uprisings remaking a region.
Allies Defending Actions in Libya After Airstrike
New York Times 2 May 2011 – NATO’s campaign of airstrikes against Libya came under intense criticism a day after a strike was said to kill a son and three grandchildren of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.
In Syria, Reports of Arrests Proliferate
New York Times 2 May 2011 – Activists describe a campaign of intimidation, with arbitrary detentions, particularly in Dara’a and near the capital.
Tensions Rise as Hamas Refuses to Take Sides in Syria
New York Times 2 May 2011 – With the uprising in Syria straining relations, the Palestinian group is said to be looking for a new home.
Jerusalem Journal: Property Lost in Holocaust Is Cataloged Online
New York Times 2 May 2011 – The database, listing more than half a million pieces of property, is part of a new project, financed by the Israeli government, to harness technology in the struggle for restitution.
Tugging at Threads to Unspool Stories of Torture
New York Times 2 May 2011 – Interviews provide a grim look at abuses occurring in Iraq and their crushing effects on individuals and families.
Gaddafi family members murdered by US and NATO
WSWS – The killing of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s youngest son and three grandchildren are political assassinations for which US and NATO leaders are directly responsible.
They can never shut me up
Mondoweiss – “Shut your mouth up,” barked a huge, scary Israeli soldier at me, like a rabid bulldog, whenever I challenged his orders. This is not even a fair comparison; a bulldog, despite his intimidating appearance, can be quite sweet and loving on the inside. Well, this soldier…
Israeli Border Policewoman as Stone-Cold Killer
Tikun Olam – Shani Sevilia: portrait of Israeli Border Policewoman as stone-cold killah A new expose of Israeli police brutality and torture exploded yesterday with reports that a member of a special Border Police unit, Shani Sivilia, had been accused of torturing a Palestinian boy in March 2010, by…
Dare to struggle, dare to win, dare to live together and build a paradise
Mondoweiss – What a beautiful face! Do you need to know any more about this human being? I don’t. Those eyes, that smile says it all. This is Bassem Tamimi of the tiny village of Nabi Saleh, photographed by Oren Ziv of ActiveStills on April 12 at his…
OBL/Palestine = Berlin Wall/Apartheid
Mondoweiss – Both Roger Cohen and Peter Beinart have hit home runs as they often do in declaring that the death of Bin Laden means we can finally move on from the “war on terrorism” and Islamofascist conspiracies against our precious bodily fluids. But make no mistake, this…
Hamas officials condemn bin Laden killing
Mondoweiss – Hamas officials have condemned the killing of Osama bin Laden. (Their statements are being seized upon by Jackson Diehl in the Washington Post and the Israel Project.) From the Al Qassam website, in Gaza : The Palestinian Prime Minister in the Gaza government Ismail Haniya denounced on…
Drink the elixir of nationalism, speak the language of violence
Mondoweiss – Chris Hedges spoke at a Truthdig fundraiser last night about OBL’s death . Excerpt: When I was in New York, as some of you were, on 9/11, I was in Times Square when the second plane hit. I walked into The New York Times, I stuffed notebooks…
Bracing for Nakba Day in Israel and Palestine
Palestine Monitor – As the Israeli military has announced it will increase troop deployment in the Occupied West Bank for the approaching Nakba Day, Palestinian schools and communities prepare for their first ‘illegalized’ commemoration of the day that marks the evacuation of tens of thousands of Palestinians from their…
Move Over Eden Abergil, There’s a New Tough Mama in Town
Tikun Olam – What Shani Sivilia does after she’s finished her job torturing Palestinians Humpf, Eden Abergil thought she was tough. Fuhgedaboudit. She’s got nothin’ on Shani Sivilia, the new queen of IDF torturers. Eden is a Girl Scout by comparison. Seems Shani’s been charged not just with pretending…
Bin Laden is Dead, Long Live Bin Laden
Tikun Olam – No, I haven’t become an Al Qaeda fan and I’m not drinking to the health of bin Laden’s successor. My point is that killing one man , no matter how symbolic his life or death might be to world terrorism and the fight against it, won’t change…
U-N-I-T-Y of Palestinian factions.
The Only Democracy? JVP 2 May 2011 – Now the attention of the world is distracted by the OBL extrajudicial assassination, but it is still worth keeping an eye on the Fatah-Hamas unity agreement scheduled to be signed on Wednesday. Ali Abunimah has some critical questions , while Mitchell Plitnick has a slightly more optimistic…
American PR man for Israel goes after Btselem
Joseph Dana 2 May 2011 – Noah Pollak, executive director of the Emergency Committee for Israel , has a piece in Commentary this month about Btselem , a major Israeli human rights organization working in the Occupied Palestinian territories. Pollak, an American Jew of the extreme right persuasion, is known for his close connections…
Mass arrests in Syria protest hub
BBC 2 May 2011 – Syrian security forces kill 10 people and arrest 499 others in house-to-house raids in Deraa, an army spokesman says.
Israel Should Applaud Fatah-Hamas Deal
Antiwar.com 2 May 2011 – In one word: Bravo! The news about the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas is good for peace. If the final difficulties are ironed out and a full agreement is signed by the two leaders, it will be a huge step forward for the Palestinians—and for…
Tunisian women and revolution
A-infos 2 May 2011 – Upset that vision of the superiority of Western patriarchy, the “victimization” with which we talk about women in Islamic countries. Upset that party “forgetting” of the West over influence in the current reality of these countries, colonization, political and economic subjugation to the West, which has…
Articles
Hope for a new dawn at Rafah in Gaza Strip
Richard Lightbown, Redress5/2/2011
Following the recent announcements of Egypt’s intention to open the Rafah Crossing with Gaza, Richard Lightbown describes some of the hypocrisies behind Israel’s objections and speculates on what might follow.
Egypt announced last week that it intends to open the Rafah Crossing to the Gaza Strip on a permanent basis. Commenting on Israel’s Army Radio on 30 April the chief of staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces, General Sami Anan, was reported to have said that this is not a matter of Israel’s concern. Officially, perhaps he is incorrect since the 2005 Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing make it plain that the opening of the crossing is very much dependent on the cooperation of the government of Israel. However, since Israel has never seen fit to abide by the Agreement on Movement and Access (hereinafter called “the Agreement”) of which these Principles are a part, one might conclude that General Anan has a valid point. The 2005 crossings agreement
The Agreement was intended to facilitate movement within the Palestinian territories, open Rafah as an international crossing point to enable the passage of people and “promote peaceful economic development and improve the humanitarian situation on the ground”.
It is worthwhile reiterating here the main points agreed by Israel and Palestine following negotiations facilitated by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, European Union representative Javier Solana and Quartet Special Envoy John Wolfensohn.
* Crossings into Gaza were to operate continuously. Of the five crossings from Israel, the main crossing at Karni would process 150 trucks of exports per day in December 2005, which would rise to 400 by the end of 2006…. more.. e-mail
Palestinians cut off from medical treatment
IRIN, Ma’an News Agency5/2/2011
BEIT JALA, Bethlehem (IRIN) — Fuad Ahmed Jabo’s mother was 70 when she died of a heart attack in the Palestinian village of Tantour in Beit Jala, between Israeli-controlled Jerusalem and the Palestinian city of Bethlehem.
They had called a Palestinian ambulance but delays at the checkpoint between Bethlehem and Tantour held it up. The Israeli ambulance services told Jabo that because his house fell inside a militarized zone, they would not be able to help. With time running out, Jabo and his nephew decided to carry her to hospital. They had gone just 200 meters when she died.
“It would have taken two minutes for an ambulance to get here from Jerusalem. It used to take me three minutes to get to Bethlehem but since the wall was finished, it takes at least half an hour,” Jabo, 50, told IRIN.
The Jabos are among 80 villagers in Tantour and tens of thousands of Palestinian families across the West Bank and Gaza whose access to health care has been restricted by Israel’s security measures, including the wall and its strict permit system.
Work on the wall began about 100 meters behind the Jabos’ home in 2001. By 2005, when it was finished, the family was cut off completely from the West Bank. As West Bank ID holders, they are not covered by Israeli national insurance so cannot go to hospitals in Israeli-controlled East Jerusalem. They have to cross through a checkpoint into the West Bank to get medical help. They are also not permitted to drive on the Israeli side.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, about 1,500 West Bank ID holders have been displaced to the Jerusalem side of the wall and now face potentially life-threatening delays when seeking medical treatment. — See also:Source more.. e-mail
The ghost town between Palestine’s past and its future
Catrina Stewart, The Independent4/30/2011
Catrina Stewart visits an abandoned settlement, frozen in time 63 years ago, that may soon become a luxury housing development.
Walking through the abandoned Palestinian village of Lifta, Yacoub Odeh is transported back to a time more than 63 years ago when as a child he would play in these streets before his carefree existence came to an abrupt end.
As he points out the old mosque and olive press, names come tumbling back, events, memories — a life before 1948, the fateful year that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled their ancestral homes during Israel’s war of independence, most of them never to return.
All that remains of this once-prosperous village are the shells of dozens of houses dotted throughout the valley, their outer walls largely intact but now overgrown with wildflowers and weeds.
How much longer the village will remain in this state is anyone’s guess. It is at the centre of a wrangle over whether it should be preserved in its current state as a reminder of the Palestinian dispossession or redeveloped into luxury housing. The Israel Land Administration, now the legal owner of the land, is marketing plots to developers to construct an upscale neighbourhood based on the buildings that already exist.
“They [the Jews] did not destroy Lifta in time of war, so they should not destroy it when Israel is talking about peace,” says Mr Odeh, a Palestinian in his early 70s who spent his early childhood there. — See also: Call to Save the History, Culture and Heritage of Lifta Village and Palestinian Refugees Act to Save Jerusalem’s Lifta Village from Destruction more.. e-mail
No peace without release of political prisoners
Electronic Intifada: 2 May 2011 – Sahar Francis The Electronic Intifada We at Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association hope the world will join us in our call to end impunity and to free all political prisoners, as without this there can be no just peace.more
When Israeli soldiers came to arrest my father
Electronic Intifada: 2 May 2011 – Hanin Ahmad Qatamesh The Electronic Intifada Ramallah Last week, on 21 April, Israeli soldiers invaded my home in Ramallah, held hostage all those present, and forced me at gunpoint to call my father, a writer and human rights advocate, in order to demand his surrender. This is common operating procedure for Israeli occupation forces.more
Bracing for Nakba Day in Israel and Palestine
Palestine Monitor: 2 May 2011 – As the Israeli military has announced it will increase troop deployment in the Occupied West Bank for the approaching Nakba Day, Palestinian schools and communities prepare for their first ‘illegalized’ commemoration of the day that marks the evacuation of tens of thousands of Palestinians from their homes to make way for the creation of Israel. Unknown location Source: Wikimedia Commons On 22 March, the Israeli Knesset approved the ” Nakba Law ,” which criminalizes stated-funded organizations, bodies and schools from observing 15 May as the Palestinian catastrophe, instead of Israeli Independence day. Palestinian schools inside the Green Line have already experienced signs that portend increased censorship. According to an Alternative Information Center report , officials from Israeli Ministry of Education visited Palestinians schools on Land Day, 30 March, requesting that school officials send the Ministry a list of teachers and students that were absent that day. This act of intimidation was…more
Statehood Declaration or Anti-apartheid Struggle?
Palestine Chronicle: 2 May 2011 – By Issa Khalaf The business of seeking UN membership is once again heating up—with a fury. While the PA threatens this diplomatic move, the Obama administration, in desperation, announces a new initiative to end what it portrays as a merely diplomatic stalemate. (Obama’s speech, it is rumored, may be a vision that includes Palestine-Israel peace in the context of events overtaking the Middle East.) Netanyahu, too is implying an Israeli plan. As if Palestinian-Israeli peace requires yet more plans for Israel to delay and the US to maintain suppression on its behalf. Similar conditions prevailed in the spring of 1999, with Arafat threatening UN statehood, putting Palestinian opposition, the US, and Israel on the defensive. Arafat of course wasn’t serious, using statehood to divide and weaken Palestinians critical of years of fruitless negotiations under the Oslo rubric, pressure the US to become a neutral arbiter, and warn the Israelis that,…more
As a Holocaust Survivor, AIPAC Doesn’t Speak for Me
Palestine Chronicle: 2 May 2011 – By Hedy Epstein At the end of one of my first journey to the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 2004, I endured a shocking experience at Ben-Gurion Airport. I never imagined that Israeli security forces would abuse a 79-year-old Holocaust survivor, but they held me for five hours, and strip-searched and cavity-searched every part of my naked body. The only shame these security officials expressed was to turn their badges around so that their names were invisible. The only conceivable purpose for this gross violation of my bodily integrity was to humiliate and terrify me. But it had just the opposite effect. It made me more determined to speak out against abuses by the Israeli government and military. Yet my own experience, unpleasant as it was, is nothing compared to the indignities and abuses heaped on Palestinians year after year. Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is based not on equal…more
Israel Slams Bombing of Gas Pipeline and Palestinian Reconciliation
Dissident Voice: 2 May 2011 – With the first light of the dawn on Wednesday, April 27, Egypt witnessed yet another unusually turbulent day of post-Mubarak, open display of anti-Israel sentiments. Those sentiments have been long entrenched in the Egyptian psyche, though not primarily directed at the Israelis but fueled by the aggressive Israeli policy towards its Arab neighbors and above all by its ongoing criminal plan of the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Palestinian population from their Arabic homeland. The pro-democracy uprisings ripping through the heart of the Arab world, besides toppling dictators and corrupt regimes and aside from being a blatant display of western hypocritical Mideast policy, have been rare historical moments for people on the Arabic street to freely speak their minds and openly express their unrestrained opinions. After all, that what democracy is all about. Once they managed to fully implement the famous slogan of the Egyptian uprising — “the people want…more
What Are They Afraid of?
Dissident Voice: 2 May 2011 – UK Zionist network, together with half a dozen Sayanim 1 within the Jewish Palestinian solidarity network, seem to be strongly united this week. Acting as a joint effort, they are trying to stifle freedom of speech: they seem to be horrified by the idea that a panel of intellectuals, journalists and an artist plan to explore the intriguing bond between Israel, Zionism and ‘Jewishness’, and thus far they have harassed panelists, threatened an academic institute and have spread lies, smears and defamation. And yet in doing so they have unwittingly provided us with a tremendous glimpse into a contemporary Jewish secular tribal operation. And what is at the root of their hysteria? For some peculiar reason, both Zionists and UK Jewish so-called ‘anti Zionists’, insist that discussing ‘Jewishness’ is a taboo which should never be explored, certainly not in public, and definitely never outside of the ghetto. But isn’t it…more
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The New Dark Age 
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