5 May, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Hamas To Allow Fateh Leaders To Travel To Ramallah
IMEMC – Friday May 06, 2011 – 02:11, The Hamas-led government in Gaza retracted, on Tuesday evening, a previous decision preventing Fateh leaders from leaving the Gaza Strip to attend an official meeting of the Fateh Revolutionary Council in the central West Bank city of Ramallah.
President Carter: US Support of Unity can Help Palestinian Democracy and Establish a Unified State
IMEMC – Friday May 06, 2011 – 02:04, Ex-Us president Jimmy Carter called for international support to the Palestinian national unity and reconciliation deal signed today in Cairo by Palestinian groups.
Palestinians Celebrate Unity Deal
IMEMC – Thursday May 05, 2011 – 11:00, Thousands of Palestinians across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip celebrated the singing of the unity deal between Fateh and Hamas movements ending a four year divide between the factions, including a period of bloody gun battles between fighters of the two movements in Gaza .
Both France and England may recognize Palestinian state
IMEMC – Thursday May 05, 2011 – 10:23, The French and British Prime Ministers both gave interviews Thursday morning that indicated their willingness to recognize a Palestinian state if peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians result in failure. The statements came in the midst of a diplomatic visit to both countries by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
Settlers Attack Palestinian Shepherd Near Nablus
IMEMC – Wednesday May 04, 2011 – 18:15, Palestinian sources reported that Israeli settlers assaulted a Palestinian shepherd in Qusra village, near Nablus, on Wednesday and killed one of his sheep.
Bedouin hamlet destroyed for third time
5/5/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Women of the Bedouin herding hamlet of Khirbet Amniyr sat on the earth and watched Israeli forces demolish their 12 tent homes for the third time on Thursday morning. The women said they were waiting for the soldiers to leave so they could rebuild their tent homes and once again re-establish….
Abbas, Mash’al meet, agree to swift govt creation
5/6/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas and Fatah leaders agreed to accelerate efforts to form a transitional government, in their first private meeting since the signing of a unity deal in Cairo on Wednesday, which formally ended the split between the factions. Member of Hamas Politburo Izzat Ar-Risheq told Ma’an on Wednesday night….
War crimes charges scare Netanyahu aide off London trip
5/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to London on Wednesday without his military attache, who fears arrest there for war crimes. A senior Israeli political source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Netanyahu raised the issue at his Wednesday evening meeting with British premier David Cameron at his Downing Street headquarters. Yohanan Locker….
Official says PLC marginalized during unity talks
5/5/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Deputy Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Hassan Khreisheh criticized Wednesday what he called the “marginalization” of the legislative body during unity talks in Cairo. PLC members, who were elected to power in 2006 but whose legislative ability has been hamstrung since division in 2007, were “not consulted, notified or invited….
Prisoners rejoice at unity deal
5/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — In Israel’s prisons, Palestinian detainees allied to Hamas sent a letter of congratulations to their peers in the movement, on the occasion of the signing of a unity deal Wednesday in Cairo. Ma’an obtained a copy of one of the letters, sent by Hasan Salameh, which….
Undercover Israeli force abducts Jihad member
5/5/2011 – JENIN (Ma’an) — Israeli soldiers stepped out of a Mercedes with Palestinian license plates at 2 a. m. and forcibly entered the home of an Islamic Jihad leader in the village of Arraba Thursday morning, the man’s family said. Tareq Qadan, a leader of the Islamist movement in the northern West Bank….
Rafah man dies of wounds from April airstrike
5/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Nearly a month after a series of Israeli operations pounded Gaza, a 28-year-old nurse from Rafah, said to be affiliated to Hamas’ armed wing, died Thursday of wounds sustained in an airstrike. Palestinian medics said Shadi Az-Zatmeh was critically injured in Israeli aerial shelling on April 8 in….
Netanyahu: France says Palestinians must OK Israel as Jewish state
5/6/2011 – PARIS (AFP) — Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday after talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy that France wants the new Palestinian government to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.” What I heard from President Sarkozy is that they must recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people,” Netanyahu said outside the…. Related: Israeli PM seeks French support in Hamas fight
Norway joins ranks supporting unified Palestine
5/5/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Hours after a historic unity deal was inked between rival Palestinian factions under heavy pressure from Israel to drop the deal, Norway came out in support of a new Palestinian Authority government. The Nordic nation joins South Africa and European socialist parties in its public calls for support of the unified….
Fatah men briefly prevented from leaving Gaza
5/6/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Security forces in the Gaza Strip prevented Fatah leaders from leaving to attend a session of the revolutionary council in Ramallah, the deputy secretary said. Amal Hammad said internal security banned members of the council from leaving. The five members of the council, Amal Hamas, Abed Al-Hamid Al-Masrui, Mohammad An-Nahhal….
Teen sentenced for stone-throwing
5/5/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — An Israeli military court sentenced a 14 year-old boy on Tuesday to a 14 month prison term for throwing stones, a detainees center reported. Teen Yazan Jamal Dandan, from Jerusalem district town Abu Dis, is being held at Israel’s Ramon prison, and was also fined 2,000 shekels (US$ 587….
Netanyahu due for May 20 White House talks
5/5/2011 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — President Barack Obama will host Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Oval Office talks on May 20, with the stalled Middle East peace process expected to top the agenda.” The leaders look forward to discussing the full range of issues of mutual interest to the United States and Israel,” the White….
Family: Abbas now responsible for Israeli soldier
5/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — The parents of an Israeli soldier detained in Gaza have urged Israel to hold Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority responsible for his fate in the wake of a unity deal between rival groups Fatah and Hamas. In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Gilad Shalit’s parents called on his….
Haniyeh says will not be next prime minister
5/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza said Thursday that he would not serve as the future unity government’s premier, offering a clean slate to those “who want to serve their people….
Hamas chief criticizes way bin Laden killed, buried
5/5/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Khalid Masha’al, head of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, on Thursday criticized the method used by US special forces to kill Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and his “burial at sea.” Masha’al called on the West to “recognize the atrocity of the American raid and the burial of (bin….
Fireworks, gunshots injure unity revelers in Gaza City
5/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Several were injured late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning as celebrations marking the end to Palestinian political division went on late into the night in Gaza City. Families and groups of young men let off fireworks and gunshots during the festivities, which head of ambulance and emergency services in….
Sole Gaza crossing open for limited imports
5/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities opened the Kerem Shalom crossing for limited imports into the Gaza Strip on Thursday, Palestinian officials said. Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattouh said a limited number of goods vehicles were set to come through the crossing, the sole entry point from Israel for supplies into the Strip. A….
Israeli PM seeks French support in Hamas fight
5/6/2011 – PARIS (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took his campaign against a unity pact between the two main Palestinian factions to Paris on Thursday, where he hopes to lobby a sceptical French leadership. Netanyahu travelled to France a day after meeting his British counterpart David Cameron in London as Israel also sought to convince European…. Related: Netanyahu: France says Palestinians must OK Israel as Jewish state
Rafah crossing travel schedule
5/6/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Times for southern Gaza’s Rafah border terminal, May 8-12, 2011: — Sunday: Travelers on the May 2 list— Monday: Travelers on the May 3 list— Tuesday: Travelers on the May 8 list— Wednesday: Travelers on May 10’s list— Thursday: Travelers on May 12’s list….
Ma’an journalist receives award
5/5/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Ma’an correspondent and journalist Tamer Obeidat received an award for “Palestinian media and journalism in 2011” on Tuesday, at a Palestinian Journalists Syndicate event marking the annual World Press Freedom Day. The award was presented by caretaker Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, for Obeidat’s investigative reporting….
Olympic athlete wins Gaza’s first-ever marathon
5/5/2011 – RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AFP) — More than 1,400 Palestinians were up before dawn on Thursday to take part in the Gaza Strip’s first-ever marathon, running the entire length of the coastal enclave. As the sun rose, around 50 runners gathered at the start line at the entrance to Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza….
Yatta drug suspect arrested
5/5/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Palestinian police detained a resident of Yatta on suspicion of drug possession Thursday, law enforcement officials said. The Palestinian Authority police department said that officers received information that a local from Yatta, a town south of Hebron in the West Bank, was in possession of drugs. Police were dispatched to the….
Journalists receive free expression award
5/5/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Journalists were honored in the West Bank and Gaza Strip following Tuesday’s marking of the annual World Press Freedom Day. The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) hosted events in its Ramallah and Jerusalem on Tuesday and in Gaza on Thursday, and awarded prizes for contributions to….
Hundreds of Mubarak loyalists, foes clash in Cairo
5/5/2011 – CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — Hundreds of diehard supporters of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak clashed with his foes in central Cairo on Wednesday leaving dozens injured, a security official told AFP. Mubarak loyalists had gathered outside the state television building in the city centre to mark the strongman’s birthday — Mubarak turned 83 on Wednesday….
Circus of the Dancing Bears
Palestine Note 5 May 2011 – The late Yitzhak Rabin used to say that the only problem with dancing with a bear is that once you start, you can never let go. Watching the current Hamas-Fatah unity circus, I can’t help but think of Rabin’s comment….
Jeff Goldberg vs Ma’an News: Media Bias Obsession
Palestine Note 5 May 2011 – In the latter part of the 20th century, trying to uncover bias became all the rage. Once it was acknowledged that news, history, academic papers, and all sorts of information sources reflected the inherent bias of the author, de-construction…
Ashrawi welcomes unity deal
Palestine Note 5 May 2011 – Ma’an – Lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi on Wednesday welcomed the reconciliation agreement signed between Fatah and Hamas, and endorsed by all other Palestinian political factions. “Palestinian reconciliation reinforces today’s pursuit of democracy in the Middle East, and marks an important step…
David Cameron to Israel: join talks or I may support independence declaration
Palestine Note 5 May 2011 – Guardian – Britain tends to tread carefully when it comes to making declarations about the Middle East. The Balfour Declaration of 1917, in which Britain pledged its support for a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, is still…
Syria’s Palestinians try to stay neutral amid turmoil
Palestine Note 5 May 2011 – Phil Sands, National- Syria’s Palestinians, wary of being sucked into an internecine fight, are struggling to remain neutral as the authorities and anti-government protesters pressure them to choose a side in the Syrian uprising. Half a million Palestinian refugees live…
Metal in the Middle East? A Music Scene Emerges
Palestine Note 5 May 2011 – Vinita Bharadwa , New York Times – It’s around midnight on a Friday evening and Absolace, a rock and metal band, is performing live for about 300 people at The Music Room, the hot nightspot in the five-star Majestic Hotel in…
Egypt sentences former Interior minister to 12 years imprisonment on corruption charges
Palestine Note 5 May 2011 – Al Arabiya – Egypt’s former Interior Minister, Habib al-Adli, was sentenced on Thursday to 12 years in jail, reports Agence-France Presse. Mr. al-Adli is the first official from former President Hosni Mubarak’s administration to stand trial and be convicted on…
Syrian Army Withdrawing From Deraa
Palestine Note 5 May 2011 – Wall Street Journal- Syria’s military said it has started to gradually move out of Deraa on Thursday, after deploying troops and tanks 11 days ago in the southern city at the heart of the country’s uprising against the rule of…
Al Qa’eda was always a fringe group with no roots in the Arab world
Palestine Note 5 May 2011 – Nir Rosen, National – On Monday night, in celebration of the death of Osama bin Laden, thousands of Americans took to the street waving flags and revelling in what was both righteous justice and jingoism. That same day I saw…
PLC official says body marginalized during unity talks
Palestine Note 5 May 2011 – Ma’an – Deputy Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Hassan Khreisheh criticized Wednesday what he called the “marginalization” of the legislative body during unity talks in Cairo. PLC members, who were elected to power in 2006 but whose legislative ability…
UPDATED: CUNY Gives Award To Bigot, Not To Jewish Opponent of Occupation
Palestine Note 4 May 2011 – [UPDATED BELOW] [NOTE: My thanks to Cecilie Surasky, Deputy Director of Jewish Voice for Peace and editor of the blog Muzzlewatch for alerting me to this story] Here are some words from a man who is getting an honorary degree…
Three arrested over Morocco cafe blast
AlJazeera 5 May 2011 – Police say the three suspects are Moroccan nationals.
Ivorian court confirms Ouattara as president
AlJazeera 5 May 2011 – Constitutional council ratifies results of last year’s election, reversing decision that sparked four months of turmoil.
Former Tunisia minister warns of coup risk
AlJazeera 5 May 2011 – Former interior minister says political elite will do anything to hold power in forthcoming vote.
UN urges Bahrain to free detained activists
AlJazeera 5 May 2011 – UN human rights chief calls for political prisoners be released and for independent probe into allegations of torture.
Obama: Bin Laden death a ‘message to world’
AlJazeera 5 May 2011 – President says al-Qaeda leader’s killing demonstrates to world that US never forgets as he lays wreath at Ground Zero.
Syrian forces tighten grip ahead of protests
AlJazeera 5 May 2011 – Tanks and troops are reported to have been deployed in central Syria and coastal areas in bid to quell protests.
Egypt’s former interior minister sentenced
AlJazeera 5 May 2011 – Habib al-Adly, the face of the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, convicted for money laundering and profiteering.
Policemen killed in Iraq suicide bombing
AlJazeera 5 May 2011 – At least 20 officers dead and scores wounded after car explodes outside police station in predominantly Shia city.
Bedouin hamlet destroyed for 3rd time
5/5/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 05 May, Maan News – HEBRON (Ma’an) – Women of the Bedouin herding hamlet of Khirbet Amniyr sat on the earth and watched Israeli forces demolish their 12 tent homes for the third time on Thursday morning. The women said they were waiting for the soldiers to leave so they could rebuild their tent homes…. Related: Source
Syria career counsellor helps young refugees find their feet
Relief Web 5 May 2011 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Country: occupied Palestinian territory , Syrian Arab Republic (the) May 2011 Homs refugee camp, Syria Fida Awad starts every day at her Homs office with a stack of…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (28 April — 04 May 2011)
Relief Web 5 May 2011 – Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Country: occupied Palestinian territory Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) Two Palestinian children were wounded when IOF moved into Bil’ein village, west…
Bedouin Factsheet
Relief Web 5 May 2011 – Source: MIFTAH Country: occupied Palestinian territory “We are an isolated minority group in an occupied territory”* The Bedouins in the West Bank, like thousands of other Palestinians, were forced from their original homes in 1948. Unlike many other Palestinians, they…
Significant Palestinian Conference to commence in Germany
5 May 2011 – Germany, (Pal Telegraph) – Final arrangements are taking place for the 9th Palestinians in Europe Conference scheduled for the 7th of May in the City of Dusseldorf, Germany.
Palestine: Return is coming
5 May 2011 – US, (Pal Telegraph) – The ninth Annual International Al-Awda Convention kicked off this past weekend with the theme “Onward, United, and Stronger. Until Return!” A major focus of the convention was the Arab people’s mass uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa and their relevance to the Palestinian struggle.
5 Palestinians detained by Israeli army in WB
5 May 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli occupation forces detained Thursday three Palestinians from the town of Azzuon in the east of Qalqilya after raiding and searching operations to several houses.
Israeli bulldozers demolish village near Hebron
5 May 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Four Israeli bulldozers started Thursday demolishing the village of Umm Nir in the south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.
Al Qa’eda was always a fringe group with no roots in the Arab world
The National 5 May 2011 – What is left of al Qa’eda? Marginal incompetents fighting a sectarian war, says Nir Rosen. But if the United States has claimed the scalp it wanted, it has lost control of the Middle East.
Gaza sees 1,000 run in its first ever marathon
The National 5 May 2011 – A land more noted for political marathons celebrated its first official full-length marathon run, yesterday, with competitors running the 42 kilometres from one end of the Gaza Strip to the other.
Former Mubarak interior minister Habib al Adly sentenced to 12 years
The National 5 May 2011 – Al Adly, who ran Mubarak’s security services for more than a decade, was convicted of money-laundering and illicitly enriching himself while in office. He faces a second trial on charges of ordering police to shoot protesters.
Syria’s political crisis puts it on edge of economic precipice
The National 5 May 2011 – As companies struggle to survive, economists warn conditions will worsen unless real solutions are found to end the turmoil between Assad government and protesters.
World Cup win boosts Qatar’s building boom
The National 5 May 2011 – 1,700 exhibitors from 47 countries flock to Project Qatar 2011 construction exhibition in Doha.
Military court sentences Bahraini protester over attempt to kill police
The National 5 May 2011 – Verdict comes after death sentences handed down to four Shiite men accused of killing two policemen during the unrest.
Palestinian factions begin groundwork for political unification
The National 5 May 2011 – Fatah angles for its candidate, Salam Fayyad, to be interim PM after agreement with Hamas for unity government until there are national elections in a year or less.
Fuel crisis adds to Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh’s woes
The National 5 May 2011 – Price quadruples, queues at petrol stations lengthen and diesel supplies dry up as Yemeni tribesmen frustrated by Saleh’s refusal to resign block oil supply to Aden refinery.
Hundreds arrested in Damascus as troops leave Syrian protest hub
The National 4 May 2011 – Activists promise ‘Day of Defiance’ on Friday in seven-week-old anti-regime campaign in which 607 people have died, according to human rights groups, while 8,000 people have been jailed or gone missing.
Next international talks on Libya to be in UAE
The National 4 May 2011 – Meeting in Rome discusses how to help financially the opponents of Muammar Qaddafi, who say they need $1.5bn in the coming months just for food, medicine and other basic supplies.
Netanyahu: Israel could support Palestinian state before September under right conditions
Ha’aretz – After meet with French President in Paris, the prime minister talks about the possibility of Palestinians achieving an independent state via the UN, saying ‘they could say that Bin Laden is the hero of mankind and pass that too.’
Nationwide fuel contamination suspected; buses and trucks reportedly affected
Ha’aretz – Fuel contamination halts flights departing Ben-Gurion Airport, standing thousands of passengers; fuel containing symptoms similar to those found at airport reported in vehicles over the past few weeks.
Emergency committee formed to investigate fuel contamination
Ha’aretz – Israel Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz says committee will look into the contamination, advise how to proceed; for interim jet-fuel to be transferred to Ben-Gurion airport from emergency tanks so flights can resume.
Merkel warns against unilateral recognition of Palestinian state
Ha’aretz – German chancellor pushes for an ‘urgent’ return to negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians after meeting with Palestinian President Abbas, who said peace process will continue despite Palestinian reconciliation.
Hamas leader in Gaza urges militant groups to keep cease-fire with Israel
Ha’aretz – Ismail Haniyeh calls on militants to give incoming Hamas-Fatah unity government a chance by maintaining the cease-fire deal with Israel.
Obama lays wreath at Ground Zero days after bin Laden killing
Ha’aretz – Earlier in day, the U.S. president visited the firehouse which lost 15 members in the September 11 terror attacks and thanked them for their service.
Senior Pakistan official: U.S. shot bin Laden in cold blood
Ha’aretz – Pakistan’s army, in its first comment since Monday’s raid, threatened to halt cooperation with its military sponsor if the U.S. repeated what it called a violation of sovereignty.
Two Tira residents killed in separate shooting incidents
Ha’aretz – Police investigating both shootings to see if they are somehow connected; both victims succumb to wounds at hospital in Kfar Sava.
Netanyahu: With bin Laden dead, Iran Supreme Leader is world’s greatest threat
Ha’aretz – In interview with CNN, Prime Minister says Ayatollah Ali Khamenei effectively runs Iran, warning that if Iran ‘gets atomic bombs, it will change history.’
Report: Egypt to double price of Israel-bound natural gas
Ha’aretz – Egyptian sources tell Al Masry Al Youm that the 2009 contract between Egypt and Israeli firm EMG allows the renegotiation of prices in the event international demand rises beyond an agreed-upon level.
Israel finalizes purchase of sixth German-made submarine
Ha’aretz – Price negotiations had balked last year when Berlin, beset by budgetary constraints, would not sell the submarine with the deep discount provided for the first three vessels of the Dolphin fleet.
White House: Obama to host Netanyahu meet on May 20
Ha’aretz – Meeting comes during what may prove to be a fateful U.S. visit, during which the PM is also scheduled to map out the future of the Mideast peace process in an address before Congress.
Fuel contamination brings flights to a halt at Ben-Gurion Airport
Ha’aretz – Foreign airlines in need of refueling have been instructed to land in Cyprus as all outbound flights are halted; Arkia Airlines cancels all flights until further notice from the airport.
Ben-Gurion Airport halts all refueling, flight delays expected
Ha’aretz – Inbound flights redirected to refuel in Cyprus after authorities stop all refueling activities due to substandard fuel supplies.
Katsav rape trial records: Victim feared ex-President’s ‘mafia’
Ha’aretz – Friend of main Katsav trial plaintiff, A. of the Tourism Ministry, says victim told him that the former President ‘really raped her’ in his Tel Aviv office.
Report: India police find body of Israeli woman in possible crime of passion
Ha’aretz – Body of young Israeli woman was reportedly hidden in an apartment freezer for 15 days before being accidentally found by the mother of her former lover’s new wife.
‘Bin Laden’s death may cause Taliban to sever al-Qaida ties’
Ha’aretz – Comments by leading Afghan analysts, officials come amid continued U.S. pressure on the Taliban to cut links with the terrorist group a precondition to peace talks.
Fischer spares foreign buyers, not young couples, from new mortage rules
Ha’aretz – Bank executives say this could actually hurt Israelis even more, as the banks will lower the level of variable-rate mortgages for Israelis to less than one third to enable themselves to increase the amounts for foreigners.
Court: Agriculture is more than sowing and reaping, it’s business
Ha’aretz – Revolutionary ruling rejects Israel Lands Administration petition to ban a moshav member from setting up a petting zoo on farmland.
HOT buying Mirs to take on Bezeq
Ha’aretz – Mirs is worth an estimated NIS 1 billion to NIS 1.2 billion.
New TV station ‘to have wide-scale effect’ on Arab sector
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Israeli Arab advocacy group says private station is important for community’s freedom of speech, access to information.
PA media, school books use ‘systematic indoctrination’
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Palestinian Media Watch report says indoctrination of Palestinian youth makes reaching a peace settlement impossible.
At last, a new deal on mechanism for converts to marry
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – After a year in court, the agreement ensures converts can register for marriage just like other Israeli Jews.
E. J’lem housing demolitions decreased in past two years
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Some cite intense int’l pressure on city; others say families are knocking down their own homes to avoid prohibitive fines.
183 names added this year to Remembrance Day rolls
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Starting Sunday evening, the country will mourn almost 23,000 men, women who have fallen since 1860 in uniform or during attacks.
Obama visits Ground Zero, meets with 9/11 families
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – As US flags wave, American president praises first responders, lays wreath; says bin Laden’s death “sent message around world.”
Independence Day torch for Schalit, Pollard, MIAs
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – US Congressional delegation of 9 legislators led by former House speaker Nancy Pelosi expected to attend ceremony.
No tears for bin Laden in Abbottabad, only confusion
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Residents of the Pakistani town still seem perplexed, confused, deeply suspicious about the operation which killed the terror leader.
US won’t deal with Palestinian gov’t unless Hamas reforms
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – In Italy, Clinton says Hamas must adopt the Quartet principles of recognizing Israel’s right to exist, renouncing violence and respecting treaties previously signed by the Palestinians.
Flights resume at Ben Gurion after fuel contamination
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – About 1,500 passengers suffer delays as a result of cancellations due to a contamination in the airport’s aviation fuel supply.
UK, France lay red lines on terms for Palestinian state
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Netanyahu says Sarkozy, Cameron will not accept any Palestinian gov’t that fails to renounce terror, refuses to recognize Israel.
Settlers starting campaign against pre-September ‘panic’
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Council to launch Internet campaign to counter messages from the Left, suggesting plausibility of Palestinian September statehood.
J-Street urges trial period for Palestinian coalition
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Founder Ben Ami calls off action on new government until policy toward Israel becomes clearer, hits back at ‘Yisrael Hayom.’
Ben Gurion planes refueling from emergency reserves
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Passengers at Ben Gurion airport still stranded, flights still grounded after jet fuel contamination grounds dozens of flights, prevents arrivals.
Palestinian state: How to lose and still come out a winner
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – The Fatah-Hamas deal will never produce unity or two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace. What it actually embodies is one more not-so-stealthy attempt to wipe Israel off the face of the map.
US hopes to unfreeze ‘substantial sum’ for Libya
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Clinton says she’ll petition Congress to make portion of frozen Libyan assets available to meet humanitarian needs, won’t name exact amount.
Commission ordered to look into fuel contamination
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Emergency fuel reserves will be tapped in order to alleviate near complete air traffic shut down, official says.
NYC’s Bloomberg declares May ‘Birthright Israel Month’
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – 1,000 Birthright alumni enjoy concert by Matisyahu in celebration of new gov’t funding, goal of sending one in two young Jews to Israel by 2013.
‘Syrian troops massing outside Banias; 300 arrested’
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Hundreds of soldiers in combat gear break into houses in Saqba overnight, scene of mass demonstration against Assad last week.
Arab spring economies likely to shrink this year
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Five countries with severest unrest – Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain and Tunisia – to see GDP drop 2.3 percent, IIF figures show.
Fatah-Hamas tensions return despite fresh unity deal
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Hamas says PA is arresting more of its followers in the West Bank; Islamists accused of preventing Gaza-based Fatah leaders from leaving.
Local runner wins Gaza Strip’s first marathon race
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Nader al-Masri, who represented Palestine at the Olympics, completed the UNRWA-organized course in two hours, 42 minutes, 47 seconds.
The Weekly Schmooze: Tweeting about Osama
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – A ‘Jpost’ column wrapping up the hottest Jewish culture news worldwide: Anti-Semitism and soccer; Israel’s Weekend Update.
Flights leaving Israel stopped due to fuel contamination
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Planes can not fill tanks or leave Ben Gurion Airport; some incoming flights stop in Greece or Cyprus instead.
A novel India
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – The Writing from Here, Writing from There series features some intriguing cross-cultural literary dialogue under the umbrella of the Indian Festival.
Former Egyptian interior minister jailed for 12 years
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Habib al-Adli, a senior Mubarak-era minister, charged with money laundering and profiteering in crack down on corruption.
Gallery: Love and seagulls on the Lebanese border
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Join Israel Nature and Parks Authority official Eyal Miller on a tour of beautiful Israeli islands near the northern border.
Ban lifted on Katsav trial testimony: ‘He really raped me’
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Friend of Aleph from the Tourism Ministry: Former president would say, “I dream about you at night,” ask her to wear revealing clothing.
Court rejects lawsuit against Yishai on Carmel fire death
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Husband of late Haifa police chief’s suit against Interior Minister turned down due to state immunity on damages sustained during police service.
Gov’t to invest NIS 12m. in Nazareth
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2011 – Goal is to draw Christian pilgrims and provide boost to Arab sector.
University snub for ‘anti-Israel’ playwright Tony Kushner
The Guardian 5 May 2011 – Honorary degree planned by John Jay College is vetoed by pro-Israeli trustee at City University of New York A row has broken out at a leading New York university because its board blocked a decision to…
Gaza stages its first marathon
The Guardian 5 May 2011 – Palestinian-UN event sees obstacles galore as children take part in relays and only nine of 1,500 runners tackle entire course Donkey carts, exhaust fumes and potholes were just some of the obstacles for runners in the…
Gaza marathon — in pictures
The Guardian 5 May 2011 – Competitors brave donkey carts, exhaust fumes and potholes in a marathon with a simple objective: start at the border with Israel and stop at the border with Egypt
SYRIA: Obama Pressed to Take Stronger Action Against Assad
IPS Amid a continuing crackdown against opposition forces, U.S. President Barack Obama is coming under growing pressure to impose tougher sanctions against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
EGYPT: After Mubarak, the Military Fist
IPS Thousands of Egyptian civilians, including protesters who helped topple the authoritarian regime of president Hosni Mubarak, have been tried in military courts without due process. “The use of military trials on this scale is without precedent,” says Adel Ramadan, a rights lawyer at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)….
[uruknet.info] The Phony Anti-War Movement
Uruknet May 5, 2011 – The U.S. anti-war movement was always a lot less than it appeared to be. At its height, activists claimed that the sheer weight of visible public opinion would shake power relationships to the very foundation. But it turned out that many of the anti-war legions were actually comprised of partisan Democrats who only opposed…
[uruknet.info] The purposive destruction of natural Palestine
Uruknet May 5, 2011 – …Kamel said that the Zionist occupation has made the environment an element of the conflict until today. There are many indicators that demonstrate that Palestinian resources and environment are the target of attrition, such as bombing water resources and the main well which provides water for Gaza City. Also, purposeful damage of large areas…
[uruknet.info] Osama bin Laden’s Death, and the Unjustifiable Defense of Torture and Guant?°namo
Uruknet May 5, 2011 – With the reported assassination of Osama bin Laden, one of the most alarming responses has been a kind of casual and widespread acceptance that the death of America’s number one bogeyman would not have been achieved without the use of torture, and without the existence of Guant?°namo. This is wrong on both fronts, as…
[uruknet.info] Palestinian Unity: Done Deal or Wobbly? –
Uruknet May 5, 2011 – In late April, Fatah and Hamas announced a reconciliation draft agreement, including a transitional government and planned presidential and legislative elections within a year. It signaled hope for rapprochement between the two sides, as well as better prospects for Palestinian independence within 1967 borders, UN membership, achieving peace, and ending Israel’s 44 year occupation….
[uruknet.info] Bombings in Iraq kill dozens
Uruknet May 5, 2011 – At least 26 people were killed and more than 60 wounded across Iraq early Thursday, most of them in a suicide attack on a police compound, as a wave of bombings and assassinations continued to unsettle the country. Shortly after sunrise, a suicide bomber drove a small Hyundai bus packed with hundreds of pounds…
[uruknet.info] Israeli bill to give settler group authority in Silwan
Uruknet May 5, 2011 – A new Israeli parliamentary (Knesset) bill that would give direct control of national parks to private organizations is causing alarm amidst Jerusalem-area activists, who say that its underlying aim is to provide legitimacy to a right-wing Israeli group’s control of an archeological site in East Jerusalem. “[It] is quite incredible that Knesset members would…
[uruknet.info] Bullets and Tumors…
Uruknet May 5, 2011 – …Is that what we’ve been reduced to – praying for the angel of Death to deliver us ? Deliver us from your bullets or your tumors ? Because I tell you, every single person I come across that arrives from Iraq will tell me the same…they tell me if you are not killed with a bullet,…
[uruknet.info] Abbas, Mash’al meet, agree to swift govt creation
Uruknet May 5, 2011 – Hamas and Fatah leaders agreed to accelerate efforts to form a transitional government, in their first private meeting since the signing of a unity deal in Cairo on Wednesday, which formally ended the split between the factions. Member of Hamas Politburo Izzat Ar-Risheq told Ma’an on Wednesday night details of the meeting between President…
[uruknet.info] Video: Gazans welcome Palestinian unity deal
Uruknet May 4, 2011 – A deal aimed at ending divisions between Palestinian factions have been signed in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. In the Gaza Strip, memories are fresh of how a dispute between Fatah and Hamas pitted Palestinian against Palestinian in 2007, after a national unity government collapsed. More than 100 people were killed in brutal street fighting.
[uruknet.info] Obama’s Killing Spree
Uruknet May 4, 2011 – Barack Obama was trying for a double homicide this weekend. He hoped to kill both Muammar Gaddafi and Osama bin Laden in one fell swoop. Bin Laden’s luck ran out, but Gaddafi used up another of his nine lives and survives while his son and three of his grandchildren are dead, killed in a…
[uruknet.info] Occupation Courts Extend Sa’adat Isolation After 775 Days – Take Action
Uruknet May 4, 2011 – The Israeli occupation courts have, once again, extended the isolation of Ahmad Sa’adat. On May 3, 2011, at a hearing in Beersheba prison, the court issued an extended isolation order until November 3, 2011. Ahmad Sa’adat, General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Palestinian national leader, has been held…
[uruknet.info] Vittorio and a lecture
Uruknet May 4, 2011 – Below are tributes to Vittorio and an announcement of a Lecture Tuesday May 10th. The funeral and other moving links for an exceptional and amazing individual, our friend Vittorio Arrigoni. May we all strive to stay human as he stayed human, a caring wonderful human being who took actions for peace and justice. Let…
[uruknet.info] Israeli Army: We use Gaza military operation to test new weapons
Uruknet May 4, 2011 – Israel used the war in Gaza in 2008 as a training opportunity for its armed forces to test new weapons, designate Israeli military chief of staff has revealed. In a speech at the Begin-Sadat Center of Strategic Affairs at Bar-Ilan University, Major General Yoav Galant said that Gaza was an “ideal training zone” as…
[uruknet.info] Killing Gaddafi’s Grandbabies
Uruknet May 4, 2011 – When the U.S. and Europeans needed a way to get on the “right” side of the Arab Awakening – and thereby crush it – they chose to re-demonize Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi as the evil from which the Euro-Americans would rescue North Africa. “Gaddafi was perfect, having long existed in cartoon form for western…
[uruknet.info] 23 Killed, 81 wounded, By Army Fire In Gaza, In April
Uruknet May 04, 2011 – The Higher Committee for Emergency and Medical Services in Gaza, issued a report on Israeli attacks and violations against the Gaza Strip in April, revealing that Israeli soldiers killed 23 Palestinians, including two children, and wounded 81. During the month of April, the army bombarded Gaza by air, sea and land mainly targeting civilian…
[uruknet.info] Iraq snapshot – May 4, 2011
Uruknet May 4, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, Iraq continues to have no heads for the security ministries, the US Congress’ Caregivers Act finally gets a real start up, a Senate subcommittee meets to talk about how to slash and gut active duty and military retiree health care, and more…AP reports that Speaker John Boehner has declared that the…
[uruknet.info] Israel expresses alarm at possible crisis in links with Egypt
Uruknet May 4, 2011 – The widening rift was underscored yesterday when leaders of the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation pact in the Egyptian capital. Egypt’s secret role in brokering the agreement last week caught both Israel and the United States by surprise. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called the deal “a tremendous blow…
[uruknet.info] Some ruminations on current events
Uruknet May 4, 2011 – I know I keep hammering on about this but it still hasn’t sunk in with those who profess to be on the left, bemused, or perhaps it’s bewitched, as they are by the concept of ‘humanitarian intervention’. Take the latest bleat from down under:
[uruknet.info] NATO discusses ground operation, Libya promises hell
Uruknet May 4, 2011 – The aerial bombardment of Libya has reached a dead end, which has intensified talk among NATO members about a possible land operation, a move that threatens to escalate massively the violence that already exists there. The alliance’s spokesman has admitted there is still little sign of progress for either side in the conflict, so…
[uruknet.info] Deraa must be allowed to receive aid and siege lifted, NGOs tell Syria
Uruknet May 4, 2011 – Non-governmental organisations are calling for aid to be let in to the besieged southern city of Deraa amid signs that heavy-handed military operations there may be coming to an end. “The siege should be lifted, food allowed in, and communications reinstated,” said Nadim Houry, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch as local semi-official…
[uruknet.info] Vatican delegate in Libya criticizes Western bombing over civilian suffering
Uruknet May 4, 2011 – The Vatican’s delegate in Tripoli is calling for a halt to NATO air strikes in Libya and for the West to negotiate with Moammar Gadhafi’s government, insisting the Libyan leader doesn’t oppose dialogue…Martinelli, who was posted in Tripoli just a year after Gadhafi seized power in 1969, said the West has no right to “…
Syria troops exit Daraa, surround Banias
Daily Star 5 May 2011 Syria pulled its troops from a 10-day clampdown in Daraa Thursday and deployed them in another protest hub as activists vowed a Day of Defiance to press against the regime.
Anti-Gadhafi allies offer rebels cash lifeline
Daily Star 5 May 2011 Libyan rebels won a financial lifeline potentially worth billions of dollars from a group of Western and Arab countries Thursday, as NATO planes struck forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi in the west.
Estonia won’t quit search for abducted nationals
Daily Star 5 May 2011 Estonia is preparing for a long-term operation to free seven nationals kidnapped five weeks ago in Lebanon, as Tallinn’s foreign minister admitted Thursday the men could be detained for several months.
Berri persuades Mikati to hold off on de facto Cabinet
Daily Star 5 May 2011 Speaker Nabih Berri has convinced Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati to put off plans to announce a Cabinet during the weekend come what may, pending a new round of consultations to break the three-month-long deadlock.
History of Lebanese media marked by martyrs
Daily Star 5 May 2011 When the Lebanese Press Federation adopted May 6 as a day to commemorate the martyrs of the Arab press, it was no haphazard or spontaneous choice.
Press suffers from politics, lack of legal protection
Daily Star 5 May 2011 The ongoing press wars raging in the media have spilled into actual violence against journalists on more than one occasion this year, raising fears reporters could bear the brunt of any further political escalations.
Three separate protests staged Downtown Beirut
Daily Star 5 May 2011 With no acting executive branch in power, the area surrounding a statue of the country’s first Independence-era prime minister has become the go-to place to air grievances.
Activist decries unchanged Roumieh conditions
Daily Star 5 May 2011 The Internal Security Forces have failed to deliver on their promises to improve living conditions at Roumieh Prison, driving dozens of prisoners to go on hunger strikes, senior human rights activist Ali Akil Khalil said Thursday.
Dozens charged over illegal construction
Daily Star 5 May 2011 The military prosecutor charged Thursday a dozen people with obstructing police from demolishing buildings as part of their crackdown on illegal construction, while the head of order of engineers warned of dangers posed by this national…
Hamas leader calls on all factions to maintain truce with Israelis
Daily Star 5 May 2011 The Hamas leader in Gaza urged militant groups Thursday to stick with a de facto truce with Israel, announced after fighting last month, so as to give a Palestinian reconciliation deal with Fatah rivals a chance.
Suspected U.S. drone missile strike leaves 2 militants dead in Yemen
Daily Star 5 May 2011 A suspected U.S. drone aircraft fired a missile at a car in southern Yemen Thursday killing two brothers believed to be Al-Qaeda militants, said security and tribal officials.
Hard work yet to start on Palestinian unity
Daily Star 5 May 2011 The Palestinians’ path to unity is strewn with obstacles that have thwarted past efforts at reconciliation between rival groups Hamas and Fatah and could do so again.
Kurdish strife clouds ballot mood in Turkey
Daily Star 5 May 2011 Mayor Abdullah Demirbas’ belief in a political solution to Turkey’s Kurdish conflict wasn’t shared by his son.
Suicide attack on Iraq police station kills 20
Daily Star 5 May 2011 A suicide bomber driving an explosives-packed vehicle rammed his way into a barricaded police compound Thursday and killed 20 police officers in the second major deadly blast in Iraq this week.
Mubarak’s interior minister sent to jail
Daily Star 5 May 2011 Egypt’s publicly reviled former interior minister was jailed for 12 years Thursday, the first member of Hosni Mubarak’s Cabinet to be sentenced, a step signaling that no one in the new Egypt is above the law.
Tunisian former official sees coup if Islamists elected
Daily Star 5 May 2011 A former Tunisian interior minister said Thursday that loyalists of ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali will mount a coup if Islamists take power in democratic elections.
Bahrain jails man over attack on police
Daily Star 5 May 2011 A Bahraini military court sentenced one man to at least five years in jail and acquitted a second over an alleged attempt to kill policemen during the country’s recent political unrest, state media said Thursday.
Berri, Mikati discuss Cabinet formation
Daily Star 5 May 2011 Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati discussed the latest developments in the stalled Cabinet formation process with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at Ain El-Tineh Thursday.
Bashar or chaos: Syrian regime’s new mantra
Daily Star 5 May 2011 This is the new media mantra unleashed by the Syrian authorities to discredit the protest movement against the embattled president’s autocratic rule.
Syria turmoil part of U.S.-Israeli vendetta: Iran envoy
Daily Star 5 May 2011 Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Ghandanfar Abadi said Thursday that the United States and Israel were pursuing a political vendetta against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Syrian troops start withdrawal from besieged city
Daily Star 5 May 2011 The Syrian Army began a gradual withdrawal Thursday from a southern city at the heart of the uprising against the country’s authoritarian regime, 11 days after President Bashar Assad unleashed tanks and snipers to crush dissent…
Daughter says bin Laden captured alive then killed: report
Daily Star 5 May 2011 Osama bin Laden was killed at close range after he had been captured alive by U.S. commandos, one of the al-Qaeda leader’s daughters told investigators, reported a pan-Arab newspaper Thursday.
Iraq suicide car bombing kills at least 21 police
Daily Star 5 May 2011 A suicide attacker blew up a bomb-filled car at a police station south of Baghdad, killing 21 policemen Thursday, as Iraqi forces braced for al-Qaeda revenge attacks after Osama bin Laden’s death.
Syrian tanks deploy in Rastan, hundreds detained
Daily Star 4 May 2011 Syrian tanks and armored vehicles deployed around the town of Rastan Wednesday, witnesses said, raising fears of another crackdown on protests challenging President Bashar Assad’s rule.
Fatah, Hamas declare landmark reconciliation
Daily Star 4 May 2011 Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas Wednesday proclaimed a landmark reconciliation pact aimed at ending their bitter four-year rift that has left them with competing governments in the territories envisioned for a future Palestinian state.
Kassir honored on World Press Freedom Day
Daily Star 4 May 2011 Journalists and activists said Wednesday that the vision of the late Samir Kassir is finally being realized, as the 2005 revolution in Beirut spreads across the Arab world.
Laws to protect migrant workers close: Philippines ambassador
Daily Star 4 May 2011 Laws protecting the rights of Filipino migrant workers in Lebanon are on the verge of being signed, the Philippine ambassador Gilberto Asuque told The Daily Star Wednesday.
Anti-sectarian platform declares ‘New Order’
Daily Star 4 May 2011 A range of activists who have taken part in recent anti-sectarian protests in the country formally announced their platform Wednesday, toward forming a movement they say should make sacrifices to free a political system hijacked by…
Omar Bakri warns of retaliation against West for killing of bin Laden
Daily Star 4 May 2011 Lebanese militant Muslim preacher Omar Bakri warned Wednesday of retaliation by Al-Qaeda in response to the killing of its leader, Osama bin Laden, on a scale worthy of this martyr.
Roumieh prisoners start hunger strike to demand reforms
Daily Star 4 May 2011 Roumieh Prison inmates began a hunger strike Wednesday in protest against the failure to implement promised reforms.
Baroud move won’t ease Interior Ministry row
Daily Star 4 May 2011 Caretaker Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud’s declaration that he would not join the new Cabinet will not smooth the creation of a new government.
Aoun pours cold water on de facto Cabinet
Daily Star 4 May 2011 Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun launched a broadside against the president and the prime minister-designate Wednesday.
Williams reassures Mikati situation in south is stable
Daily Star 4 May 2011 United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said Wednesday following talks with Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati the situation in south Lebanon was stable.
Arab League top post should stay in Egypt
Daily Star 4 May 2011 Electing a non-Egyptian to the post of secretary general of the Arab League two months after the popular revolution in Egypt would send the wrong message, according to Egypt’s candidate for the post.
Police officer accidentally shoots himself, survives
Daily Star 4 May 2011 A police officer suffered minor wounds Wednesday after he accidentally shot himself outside the police headquarters in Beirut Wednesday, a security source told The Daily Star.
Interpol chief discusses security issues with Rifi
Daily Star 4 May 2011 Interpol President Boon Hui Khoo discussed Wednesday a range of security challenges and concerns with Maj.Gen. Ashraf Rifi, the head of Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces.
Shahhal condemns bin Laden’s sea burial
Daily Star 4 May 2011 Salafist Belief and Justice Movement leader Sheikh Hassan Shahhal condemned Wednesday the burial at sea of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, calling the act disrespectful of Islamic law.
Mashaal: Bin Laden assassination an ‘atrocity’
YNet News, 5 May 2011 – Hamas Politburo Chief demands West ‘recognize atrocity’ of al-Qaeda head’s….
Obama in NY: Meant what we said by ‘never forget’
YNet News, 5 May 2011 – Following death of bin Laden, American president visits Manhattan firehouse that….
Yigal Amir appeals confinement conditions, again
YNet News, 5 May 2011 – Yitzhak Rabin’s killer says Prison Service resolve to keep him in solitary….
Serial rapist’s mother brings him porn
YNet News, 5 May 2011 – Mother of Benny Sela, in jail for raping 13 women, hands him file in court later….
Trial of suspected Nazi war criminal opens in Hungary
YNet News, 5 May 2011 – Sandor Kepiro, suspected of 1942 killings of civilians in Serbia, goes on trial….
Katsav ‘shocked’ by court records’ release
YNet News, 5 May 2011 – Former president said to be ‘frustrated, enraged’ over court’s decision to….
Israeli figure skater charged with desertion
YNet News, 5 May 2011 – Military Police arrests Israeli figure skater Evgeni Krasnopolsky for desertion….
Syrian troops start withdrawal from Daraa
YNet News, 5 May 2011 – Army begins gradual withdrawal from Daraa, 11 days after President Bashar Assad….
Israel buys Dolphin submarine
YNet News, 5 May 2011 – Sixth addition to fleet officially purchased from Germany at marked-up price of….
Katsav trial protocols revealed
YNet News, 5 May 2011 – Tel Aviv District Court releases protocols of Moshe Katsav’s trial as former….
India: Body of Israeli woman found in freezer
YNet News, 5 May 2011 – Israeli woman, 28, discovers her Indian lover is married after appearing in his….
Palestinian Information Center
Haneyya briefs Qatari Emir, Saudi FM on reconciliation agreement
PIC – 05/05/2011 – 09:05 AM
Key opposition party in Jordan calls for re-opening Hamas office
PIC – 05/05/2011 – 09:16 AM
IOF rounds up eight including child during West Bank turbulence
PIC – 05/05/2011 – 09:25 AM
Israeli intelligence refuses to release detained Palestinian
PIC – The wife of detained Palestinian activist Ahmed Qatamesh said that the Israeli intelligence refused to release her husband despite the Israeli prosecution’s decision.
Deutsche Bahn withdraws from railway project crossing Palestinian lands
PIC – German lawmaker Heike Hansel hailed the national railway company, Deutsche Bahn, for withdrawing from Israel’s rail project intended to connect occupied Jerusalem with Tel Aviv.
Bahar calls for swift formation of government of technocrats
PIC – Scores of Palestinians raised Hamas and Fatah banners as they filled the streets of Gaza city celebrating the signing of unity deal on Wednesday that ended a national split.
IOF troops raze 10 Palestinian homes
PIC – Bulldozers of the Israeli occupation army flattened ten Palestinian homes in Al-Khalil district on Thursday morning, local sources said.
Report: Israelis behind 42 Jerusalem land violations in April
PIC – A report issued by the Land Research Center in Jerusalem on Wednesday documents that Israeli forces carried out 42 property infringements against the people of Jerusalem in April 2011.
Haneyya lauds Egyptian role in phone call with Sharaf
PIC – Palestinian premier Ismail Haneyya reached his Egyptian counterpart Esam Sharaf over the telephone on Wednesday night and thanked him for his country’s patronage of the Palestinian reconciliation.
Nasif calls for releasing political detainees
PIC – Senior Hamas official Ra’fat Nasif said the Palestinian citizen needs to sense concrete steps supporting the reconciliation deal, especially the release of political detainees from west Bank prisons.
IOF soldiers launch arrest campaign in Jenin including Jihad leader
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up a number of Palestinian citizens in Jenin district at dawn Thursday including a leader in the Islamic Jihad movement.
IPS deprives isolated prisoner of drinking water for two days
PIC – The Israeli prison service (IPS) deprived Palestinian detainee Nasser Al-Shoki of drinking water for two days after isolating him, the Palestinian prisoner’s society said on Thursday.
Report: Israel killed 22 Palestinians last month
PIC – The international Tadamun society for human rights said in its monthly report that Israel killed 22 Palestinians, all of them from Gaza, during intensive artillery and aerial attacks last April.
Media Breathes Again in Gaza
WAFA
EUPOL COPPS to Host PCP and Prosecution on Family Protection Study-Trip
WAFA
Israel Raids Hebron and Arrests Palestinians
WAFA
Israeli Authorities Order Bedouins to Leave Homes
WAFA
Little Movement in West Bank’s Performance, says Integrity Report
WAFA
PLO Member Ashrawi Welcomes Reconciliation Agreement
WAFA
Israeli Forces Arrest Five Palestinians in West Bank
WAFA
Palestinians in Ramallah Celebrate Agreement
WAFA
Physicians Urge Obama Admin to Pressure Mideast Ally Bahrain to End Repression of Doctors, Patients [VIDEO]
Intifada-Palestine: 5 May 2011 – Richard Sollom , deputy director of Physicians for Human Rights. He is co-author of the new report, “Do No Harm: A Call for Bahrain to End Systematic Attacks on Doctors and Patients.” The Gulf nation of Bahrain has announced that 47 medical… more
U.S. AND NATO ALLIES INITIATE LIBYAN SCENARIO FOR SYRIA
Intifada-Palestine: 5 May 2011 – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad among his supporters. According to Russian deputy ambassador to the UN Alexander Pankin, the current situation in Syria “does not present a threat to international peace and security.” By: Rick Rozoff / Voltairnet.org On April 29 the White… more
12 Year Old Daughter Says Osama Bin Laden Captured Alive Then Executed In Front Of Family
Intifada-Palestine: 5 May 2011 – The official released photo of US officials watching the live video and audio feed doesn’t make sense either. For example, why are the laptops not on? (Images: Courtesy Alexander Higgins blog) by: Alexander Higgins Osama Bin Laden’s 12-year-old daughter, who was… more
EXCLUSIVE: PHOTOS FROM THE BIN LADEN COMPOUND
Intifada-Palestine: 4 May 2011 – WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHS OF DEATH AND INJURY BELOW Photographs acquired by Reuters and taken about an hour after the U.S. assault on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan show three dead men lying in pools of blood, but no… more
In Yemen, battle against Al Qaeda continues
LA Times 5 May 2011 – Two alleged Al Qaeda militants are slain in what is believed to be a U.S. missile strike. Their deaths cast a spotlight on Al Qaeda’s role in Yemen, where the group remains a threat even after Osama bin Laden’s demise.
Rescue ship evacuates 800 from Misurata to Benghazi
LA Times 5 May 2011 – Most arriving in Benghazi, the Libyan rebels’ stronghold, are migrant workers from sub-Saharan Africa and other areas who were left stranded amid the siege by Kadafi’s forces. A rescue ship packed with migrant workers from the besieged Libyan city of Misurata arrived Thursday at the…
Syria steps up crackdown on opposition activists
LA Times 5 May 2011 – Hundreds of people are arrested on the eve of another planned day of protests against the Baathist regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The government warns people to stay home and deploys troops around the country. Syrian authorities intensified a crackdown on opposition activists Thursday,…
Obama Honors Victims of Bin Laden at Ground Zero
New York Times 5 May 2011 – President Obama visited ground zero and laid a wreath at a memorial to the nearly 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Once-Feared Egyptian Official Sentenced and Fined
New York Times 5 May 2011 – The sentencing of Habib el-Adli, the once-feared former interior minister, ended the first in a series of corruption trials of top figures in the government of Hosni Mubarak.
Syrian Forces Step Up Raids in Damascus Suburbs
New York Times 5 May 2011 – Backed by tanks, Syrian security forces arrested scores of people Thursday in a broad campaign against men between the ages of 18 and 50, rights groups said.
Clinton Leaves Door Open After Palestinian Deal
New York Times 5 May 2011 – A day after Palestinian factions signed a unity deal, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton strikingly refused to rule out further negotiations with a Palestinian side that includes Hamas.
Tainted Fuel Grounds Israeli Planes
New York Times 5 May 2011 – Most flights out of Israel’s international airport were grounded Thursday as a safety precaution, according to Israeli officials.
Local Iraqi Leaders Blame Al Qaeda for Attack
New York Times 5 May 2011 – A suicide bomber on Thursday attacked a police training center in the predominantly Shiite city of Hilla, killing 25 policemen and wounding 75 others.
Growing wave of strikes in Egypt
WSWS – Strikes are continuing in numerous plants across Egypt in defiance of the military junta’s prohibition of strikes and protests.
International finance presses for counter-revolution in Tunisia
WSWS – The political reforms in Tunisia aim to remove people from power who are too politically associated with the dictator Ben Ali, whilst justifying the maintenance of the social conditions against which the Tunisian masses revolted.
‘Mondo’ editors to speak tonight in Oakland
Mondoweiss – Tonight in Oakland, the two co-editors of this website, Adam Horowitz and I, will be doing an event to benefit the Middle East Children’s Alliances’s water project in Gaza — and to promote our book on the Goldstone Report. 7 p.m., First Congregational Church, directions at…
The bin Laden threat in Iowa
Mondoweiss – Here is a sad and laughable news clip : A man named Boubker Lamkadmi was palling around with his coworkers after work at the Whirlpool Refrigeration Appliances factory in Amana, Iowa when he made a joke about blowing up Amana because his “friend” bin Laden was dead….
What folks are saying in Palestine
Mondoweiss – Last month, in the Old City Jerusalem, I visited a Palestinian friend who belonged to one of the radical Left factions of the PLO and had spent many years in Israeli jails. When I asked him what he thought about the political situation he responded that…
More Global CST mess
Neged Neshek – Yossi Melman today in Haaretz did what I’d intended to do but hadn’t yet got around to and wrote an illuminating piece about the latest Global CST mess in Georgia about Israel Ziv’s visit to Abkhazia. Here is my post from a few days ago about…
Star Defense Systems wins Night Vision order from India
Neged Neshek – Star Defense Systems (SDS) was awarded a $44.79 million contract with the Indian Army to provide “three types of night vision equipment for targeting and observation.” SDS is deeply involved in the occupation both with providing equipment to the Israeli army and with the parent company…
Awakening: Kushner mugging leads UCLA prof to reject Zionism
Mondoweiss – The Tony Kushner mugging is huge. It is sending more Jews to the exits, wondering what the messianic Zionist movement has done to Jewish political engagement, let alone to the Palestinian experience. Mark Kleiman, a public policy prof at UCLA, says he’s done with Zionism (thanks…
Kushner fears damage to his reputation
Mondoweiss – One of the most important aspects of the Tony Kushner story is the great fear that CUNY’s decision has created in the playwright about potential damage to his reputation. As he wrote to CUNY administrators, “I believe I am owed an apology for the careless way…
Artistic unified action on May 15
Palestine Monitor – Around May 15th, art , music and poetry will commemorate the Nakba in Gaza, Nablus, Ramallah, Haifa and Amman. – Press release / 2nd-col-1st-article , Non-violent resistance , International solidarity , Palestinian civil society , Youth , Culture , Right to entry , Gaza , Nakba
Jewish Islamophobe Denies Honorary CUNY Degree to Tony Kushner
Tikun Olam – Jeffrey Wiesenfeld: CUNY’s pro-Israel ‘enforcer’ New York City’s incendiary Jewish politics just heated up to the boiling point again. Those who’ve read this blog for a while, will recall a nasty bunch called Stop the Madrassa which disseminated vile smears of Debbie Almontaser and the Khalil…
As Hamas, Fatah Sign Unity Pledge, Meshal Calls for Palestinian State in 1967 Borders
Tikun Olam – The Israeli far-right and its supporters have just suffered another stinging blow in its campaign to smear Hamas as an Al-Qaeda clone (yes, Bibi had the chutzpah to use that no outrageous comparison today). During the Hamas-Fatah signing ceremony for their unity deal, Hamas’ leader had…
World Leaders Warn Israel Not to Impound Palestinian Tax Funds
Tikun Olam – What a difference a few years can make in a political conflict. After 2006, when Hamas won the PA election and Israel froze hundreds of millions in dollars in tax payments due the PA for many months, there was nary a whine from the world community….
Fatah and Hamas Celebrate together in Gaza City
Palestine Monitor – For the first time in four years, Fatah-supporters in Gaza wave their yellow banner. Watch the video of the jubilant crowds. – Videos / 2nd-col-1st-article , Non-violent resistance , Palestinian unity , Arab Spring
Within Are Precious Books
Palestine Monitor – A stone’s throw from the Haram Sharif in Jerusalem’s old city, the Khalidi Library has kept its ancient treasures safe from nearly seven decades of rapacious Zionism. – In Focus / 3rd-col-1st-article , Jerusalem , Palestinian civil society , Culture , Theft , Occupation
Unity Agreement Signed in Cairo
Palestine Monitor – Palestinians celebrate the end of division. – News / 3rd-col-1st-article , Non-violent resistance , Palestinian unity , Arab Spring
U.S. Account of Bin Laden Assassination Frays Around Edges
Tikun Olam – Yesterday, the Obama administration admitted that it killed an unarmed Osama bin Laden in the attack on his compound after it had falsely claimed he had resisted in its original account. Today, the government has backed away from its claim that there was a massive firefight…
Voices from the Occupation – Soldier Violence
Defence for Children International – Palestine 4 May 2011 – On 11 April 2011, a 17-year-old boy was beaten and harassed by an Israeli soldier near the Ramat Yishai settlement in Tel Rumeida, Hebron City.
Contact the CUNY Board of Trustees About Their Decision Not To Award Tony Kushner an Honorary Degree
The Magnes Zionist 5 May 2011 – Take a few minutes to copy and paste the letter below (or better, substitute your own letter) and email it to the following members of the board of trustees. charlie.shorter@davisbrodyaedas.com; croman@cityhall.nyc.gov; dimartino@att.net; DRHMORALES@msn.com; ffostertolbert@gmail.com;joe@lhota.net; judah.gribetz@bingham.com; kathleen.pesile@mail.cuny.edu; kaympesile@aol.com; peter.pantaleo@dlapiper.com;philip@philipberryassociates.com; provost.cory@gmail.com; sam.sutton@aeny.com; Sandi.Cooper@csi.cuny.edu; vlancaster@mrbeal.com;wellingtonchen@yahoo.com; wellingtonzchen@gmail.com; wiesenfeldjs@bernstein.com; Jay.Hershenson@mail.cuny.edu Dear…
Osama Bin Laden as the “Wicked Witch of the West”
The Magnes Zionist 3 May 2011 – ADDeRabbi, an orthodox rabbi who is an occasional commenter on this blog, gave links to several posts in which Proverbs 24:17-20 was cited in reference to the death of Bin Laden.(See his comments on the post below.) I took the trouble to look at the links;…
PSC and MEMO statement on event
Middle East Monitor 5 May 2011 – PSC and MEMO statement The PSC and MEMO meeting on media bias, taking place on 23 May as an external event in Amnesty’s building in London, has come under fire by pro-Israeli Government supporters. In a blog published at the end of April in the Daily…
Palestinians celebrate the signing of reconciliation agreement
Middle East Monitor 5 May 2011 – EXCLUSIVE PICTURES Hundreds of Palestinians led by factional leaders and Legislative Council members gathered spontaneously in the Square of the Unknown Soldier in Gaza City to celebrate the signing of the Palestinian national reconciliation agreement. Participants chanted slogans of unity, called for the implementation and preservation…
Israel’s Separation Wall – the death of Palestinian statehood
Middle East Monitor 5 May 2011 – Walls are the very embodiment, the essential symbol, of separateness and apartheid, and in Palestine, the Separation Wall gives a literal, concrete form to the Jewish exclusivism and separation represented by Israel’s governing political philosophy of Zionism.As such, the Separation Wall represents an end to any…
Settler gang burns West Bank Secondary School prayer room
Middle East Monitor 5 May 2011 – EXCLUSIVE PICTURES On Tuesday 3rd May, settlers from the Yitzhar settlement in the northern West Bank burned down the prayer room of Hawara Village boy’s secondaryschool. Eye witness reports state that the 80m¬? structure was burnt down by a group of settlers returning from a visit…
Neoconversatives rejoice: Poll says East Jerusalemites prefer Israel
Joseph Dana 5 May 2011 – According to a recently released poll conducted earlier this year by the Pechter Middle East Polls inconjunctionwith the Council on Foreign Relations , a majority of EastJerusalemPalestinians wouldpreferIsraeli citizenship if a Palestinian state is declared. That some Palestinians would choose Israeli citizenship over Palestinian has long been…
How strong is the Israel lobby in Washington?
Joseph Dana 5 May 2011 – Former U.S. ambassador Chas Freeman spoke yesterday at the Palestine Center for the annual Sharabi lecture at the Palestine Center . Follow the link to view his excellent discussion. The shocking piece of the speech was picked up by Paul Woodward and Phil Weiss , In late November…
Syria accused of Deraa ‘massacre’
BBC 5 May 2011 – A Syrian rights group accuses President Assad’s regime of carrying out “ten days of massacres” against protesters in the southern city of Deraa.
Egypt ex-interior minister jailed
BBC 5 May 2011 – Egyptian ex-Interior Minister Habib al-Adly is sentenced to 12 years in jail for money-laundering, in the first trial of a Mubarak-era official.
Guarded praise for Palestinian deal
BBC 5 May 2011 – Palestinian and Israeli papers were divided in their response to the unity deal signed by the two main Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas.
Take Action: Boycott Bibi!
US Campaign to End the Occupation 5 May 2011 – May 5, 2011, No leader of Apartheid South Africa was ever allowed to speak before Congress, but later this month Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu is scheduled to do so. Don’t let Congress entertain Israeli apartheid policies against Palestinians. Sign our petition demanding that Congress “…
Articles
Egypt and Israel Headed for Crisis
Jonathan Cook, Nazareth, CounterPunch5/5/2011
A New Mood in Cairo
Israeli officials have expressed alarm at a succession of moves by the interim Egyptian government that they fear signal an impending crisis in relations with Cairo.
The widening rift was underscored yesterday when leaders of the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation pact in the Egyptian capital. Egypt’s secret role in brokering the agreement last week caught both Israel and the United States by surprise.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called the deal “a tremendous blow to peace and a great victory for terrorism”.
Several other developments have added to Israeli concerns about its relations with Egypt, including signs that Cairo hopes to renew ties with Iran and renegotiate a long-standing contract to supply Israel with natural gas.
More worrying still to Israeli officials are reported plans by Egyptian authorities to open the Rafah crossing into Gaza, closed for the past four years as part of a Western-backed blockade of the enclave designed to weaken Hamas, the ruling Islamist group there.
Egypt is working out details to permanently open the border, an Egyptian foreign ministry official told the Reuters news agency on Sunday. The blockade would effectively come to an end as a result. more.. e-mail
The real challenge of Palestinian unity
Michael Broning, Ma’an News Agency5/4/2011
After four years of internal schism, Palestinians have agreed on forming a united government backed by the rivaling factions of Hamas and Fatah.
The implementation of the deal that will be ceremonially signed in Cairo on Wednesday poses a number of challenges, the biggest of which will have to be faced by Western decision makers: will the new government be recognized or again be subjected to sanctions and boycotts? As of yet, the decision is still pending.
The Egyptian brokered unity deal that is backed by 14 Palestinian factions effectively ends the split of the Palestinian territory into two competing parts. Following Palestinian elections in 2006 and a violent take-over of the Gaza-strip by Hamas in 2007, Palestinians have been governed by two distinct governments from Gaza and Ramallah.
Whereas the Palestinian Authority under President Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah was internationally recognized and bolstered with Western aid, the Hamas run Gaza-branch was targeted with a comprehensive blockade. While economic stagnation thus spread in Gaza, significant progress was attained in state-building efforts implemented in the West Bank.
At the same time, the intra-Palestinian split severely weakened the Palestinian negotiating position vis-?†-vis Israel. After all, the Palestinian president de-facto only represented one half of two bitterly divided entities.
Newly regained Palestinian unity has once more changed the parameters of Middle East peace making. For the first time in years, Palestinians will again be represented by a single government. This will strengthen their bargaining power and enable the Palestinian leadership to follow through on the plan to obtain statehood…. more.. e-mail
Daniel Barenboim: I am a Palestinian and an Israeli
+972 Magazine5/5/2011
On Tuesday, world-renowned conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim breached the blockade on Gaza by bringing an orchestra of some of Europe’s top musicians to a brief solidarity concert. +972 spoke to him after his return to Berlin.
How do you sum up the visit?
I think it was a very important occasion. Thirty-six of the best European Musicians — from the Berlin Staatskapelle, from the Berlin Philharmonic, from the Vienne Philarmonic, from the Orchestra du Paris, and from La Scala of Milan came there with me and we were able to show solidarity with the civic society of Gaza. This was made possible by the invitation of the United Nations, who organized the concert together with Palestinian NGOs. It was a very important step in that it we didn’t go in with a political mission, but with the humanitarian mission, for the people and civil society of Gaza, who have had no access to culture for a long time.
I was especially impressed by the following fact: The Gaza Strip, as you know, is a very small area with over one and a half million inhabitants. And in spite of the blockade, which deprives them of many essentials — including cement to finish buildings, which you can actually see as you go there — in spite of that, they managed to build twelve universities. Twelve universities, in an area where you not only have 1.5 million people, but in an area where 85 percent of this 1.5 million are under thirty years of age. Very young people who are the hope of the next generation. And I think this is absolutely wonderful that they have built as many as twelve universities for these people. Because these are people who will get knowledge and information through the newest means the internet has to offer. This is the future of Palestine, and therefore, in some ways, also the future of Israel. Because this is the people that it will have to deal with. It’s a humanitarian, Palestinian, but also in a way Israel’s own interest to encourage people who want knowledge. more.. e-mail
Israeli bill to give settler group authority in Silwan
Electronic Intifada: 5 May 2011 – Jillian Kestler-D’Amours The Electronic Intifada A new Israeli parliamentary (Knesset) bill that would give direct control of national parks to private organizations is causing alarm amidst Jerusalem-area activists.more
Artistic unified action on May 15
Palestine Monitor: 5 May 2011 – Around May 15th, art , music and poetry will commemorate the Nakba in Gaza, Nablus, Ramallah, Haifa and Amman. – Press release / 2nd-col-1st-article , Non-violent resistance , International solidarity , Palestinian civil society , Youth , Culture , Right to entry , Gaza , Nakbamore
Fatah and Hamas Celebrate together in Gaza City
Palestine Monitor: 5 May 2011 – For the first time in four years, Fatah-supporters in Gaza wave their yellow banner. Watch the video of the jubilant crowds. – Videos / 2nd-col-1st-article , Non-violent resistance , Palestinian unity , Arab Springmore
Within Are Precious Books
Palestine Monitor: 5 May 2011 – A stone’s throw from the Haram Sharif in Jerusalem’s old city, the Khalidi Library has kept its ancient treasures safe from nearly seven decades of rapacious Zionism. – In Focus / 3rd-col-1st-article , Jerusalem , Palestinian civil society , Culture , Theft , Occupationmore
Unity Agreement Signed in Cairo
Palestine Monitor: 5 May 2011 – Palestinians celebrate the end of division. – News / 3rd-col-1st-article , Non-violent resistance , Palestinian unity , Arab Springmore
Palestinian Unity and the New Middle East
Palestine Chronicle: 4 May 2011 – By Ramzy Baroud Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to the Hamas-Fatah deal in Cairo was both swift and predictable. “The Palestinian Authority must choose either peace with Israel or peace with Hamas. There is no possibility for peace with both,” he said, in a televised speech shortly after the Palestinian political rivals reached a reconciliation agreement under Egyptian sponsorship on April 27. Despite numerous past attempts to undercut Mahmoud Abbas, stall peace talks, and derail Israel’s commitment to previous agreements, Netanyahu and his rightwing government are now arguing that Palestinians are solely responsible for the demise of the illusory ‘peace process’. Israeli bulldozers will continue to carve up the hapless West Bank to make room for more illegal settlements, but this time their excuse may not be ‘natural expansion’. The justification might instead be Israel has no partner. US and other media will merrily repeat the dreadful logic, and…more
History Can’t Hide Hypocrisy
Dissident Voice: 5 May 2011 – May 4, 2011 marks the forty-first anniversary of the murders of four students by the National Guard at Kent State University in the United States. These murders by the state’s armed forces, which were followed by the police murders of six black men during an uprising in Augusta, Georgia and two more students (also black) at Jackson State in Mississippi, proved to be a turning point in the prosecution of the US war on the Vietnamese. In short, the desire to continually expand that war was no longer the consensus among those who plan such things in Washington. The war itself would continue for five more years, but Washington’s belief in its ability to win had been broken. Of the deaths mentioned above, the six in Ohio and Mississippi occurred during protests against the US invasion of Cambodia–a clear expansion of the war in Southeast Asia. The murders in Augusta…more
Egypt and Israel Heading for Crisis
Dissident Voice: 5 May 2011 – Israeli officials have expressed alarm at a succession of moves by the interim Egyptian government that they fear signal an impending crisis in relations with Cairo. The widening rift was underscored yesterday when leaders of the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation pact in the Egyptian capital. Egypt’s secret role in brokering the agreement last week caught both Israel and the United States by surprise. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called the deal “a tremendous blow to peace and a great victory for terrorism”. Several other developments have added to Israeli concerns about its relations with Egypt, including signs that Cairo hopes to renew ties with Iran and renegotiate a long-standing contract to supply Israel with natural gas. More worrying still to Israeli officials are reported plans by Egyptian authorities to open the Rafah crossing into Gaza, closed for the past four years as part of…more
As a Holocaust Survivor, AIPAC Doesn’t Speak for Me
Dissident Voice: 5 May 2011 – At the end of one of my first journeys 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 rights and fair…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 